


Shadows and Misfortune: Shadow Magic

by Storytravelled



Series: Shadows and Misfortune [2]
Category: A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket, Shadow Magic - Joshua Khan
Genre: Other, aged up sunny, bea is 13, because she needs to be a queen in this fic and is 14, duncan is Duncan idk how old he is in this au rn, if u wanna read shadow magic w/o spoilers for this au basically stop after chapter 1 of gehenna, the quags r not triplets here im so sorry, this is basically “see how long sunny lasts until she stabs someone”
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-02-18 11:31:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 34
Words: 51,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21560476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Storytravelled/pseuds/Storytravelled
Summary: Beatrice Snicket just wants to find her uncle. Duncan Djinn just wants to go home and be safe. Carmelita Solar just wants someone to appreciate her. And Sunny Shadow just wants to make things right. Even if she has to break the laws of the universe to do it.
Relationships: Duncan Quagmire & Klaus Baudelaire (mentioned), Jaquelyn Schiezca/Olivia Caliban, Moxie Mallahan/Ellington Feint (implied), Sunny Baudelaire & Beatrice Baudelaire ii, Sunny Baudelaire & Beatrice Snicket, Sunny Baudelaire & Duncan Quagmire & Beatrice Baudelaire ii
Series: Shadows and Misfortune [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1550779
Comments: 69
Kudos: 11





	1. Prologue: Origins

Once there was a world.  
A land so far away, it remains nameless, yet it bears many names.  
Once there was no one.  
And once, there was a barbarian King. He fell in love with a being of some sort. Ask whoever you wish, and they’ll tell you she’s something different. Me? I’d say she was the daughter of a demon lord.  
Once there was a family. The king, his queen, and their six sons. The brothers were each masters of an element. They had magic. It was an art, a craft.  
Prince Typhoon mastered the air and the wind and was a friend to the birds, a brother to the sky. His descendants would become wind lords and end up living far to the East. They live far beyond the Eagle Mountains, in a kingdom completely their own.  
Prince Coral’s domain was the water. The ocean and the waves were his elements. He was a companion to dolphins, the protector of the sea. His descendants and people are merfolk and live in the element that both separates and connects us all: the water.  
Prince Djinn was the master of fire. Of the warmth it brought and the destruction it caused, he commanded the whole of it. He allied with the djinns, the efreets, and the creatures of flame that would aid him in his rule. Himself and his descendants founded the Sultanate of Fire, and House Djinn has ruled justly and wisely for millennia. They still do, and their people still flourish.  
Prince Herne was the lord of the earth and of the plants. His love and his lifeblood were the woods and everything that lay within. His descendants live today as druids in harmony with his people in Herne’s forest, a utopia for all. Legend says that this Prince is still alive, asleep in a deep cave guarded by an obsidian unicorn.  
Prince Solar, twin to Prince Shadow, and lord of light was skilled and honest. He commanded luminance and the illusions it creates, employing only the purest of creatures for his company. His descendants are dukes and duchesses of their land of Lumina, wishing to make the world equal and safe.  
And finally, Prince Shadow, the lord of darkness. A wise ruler and wonderful friend founded Gehenna and the kingdom of Shadows where our story takes place. A hooded figure allied with the skeletons and the spirits, the dead and the forgotten. And underneath the hood was the necromancer king himself, with the Sword of Midnight that legend says he used to cut time into three: the past, the present, and the future. His descendants rule the kingdom he created as lords and ladies, shrouded in mystery and radiating death.

And not all of what I just told you is true.

Now, there is a story.  
The story of a witch queen and her family.  
The story of a young squire looking for her uncle.  
The story of a hostage taken from that which he loves.  
The story of someone evil and deceitful.  
It is the story of three children trying to make things right.  
And the story of someone cowardly and arrogant.  
This story is of prejudice and corruption, of love and betrayal. It is of lies and rewards and mercy. It starts with immeasurable sorrow and ends shrouded in mystery. It is filled with this sorrow from the beginning to the end, and sorrow is a dangerous thing. I have dedicated my life to telling this story, but you have not. Look away, and go back to your life. Remain free, happy, and unburdened by this unfortunate tale. Leave and do not ever look back.

Now there is a sorrowful tale you should not read.  
Now there is a sorrowful narrator obligated to tell it to whoever is foolish enough to stay.

Now, there is a world.


	2. "The iron we wear isn't exactly a set of jewelry."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Location 1: Port Cutlass  
> POV: Beatrice

“How much for this girl?” Asked a man, prodding Beatrice hard in the chest. 

She flinched back and wrapped her chained arms around her chest, hugging herself protectively. Her hands held her shoulders and she stared him down, grimacing. 

The slave master, Lukas, wiggled all of his short, dirty fingers.

The man frowned. “Ten? Captain Pike sells his for five.” 

Lukas, born ogre-like and turned a million times worse by a massive scar across his face, laughed. “Pike sells them half-starved and diseased. You’d be better off buying a corpse!” He tugged Bea forward by her manacles. “Have a good look at her, Master Shann. Thirteen summers and already she’s tall, sound, and obedient.” Lukas twisted Bea’s wrist to turn her palm up, the fetters pressing painfully into her wrist. She winced. “Her hands are as dainty as a Duchess of the Solars! I swear by the Six, you put her anywhere and she’ll work diligently until she can’t move! Imagine all the possibilities-”

Bea yanked herself out of his grasp. They spoke of her as though she were some sort of animal! She took a deep breath, trying to contain herself. _Stand your ground, Bea. But don’t let them see. Don’t let them know they got to you._

The customer, Master Shann tried to prod her again, and again she backed away. “Open your mouth, girl!” He ordered.

On the contrary, she clamped her mouth shut. 

Lukas cuffed the back of her head. “Open your mouth, girl.”

She barely flinched. She’d developed quite a tolerance of sorts against his less severe attacks. Her mouth did not open. 

“Is she simpleminded?” Asked Shann in a quite simpleminded manner. “I have no use for simpleminded workers.”

Bea should’ve punched him for that. Shann evidently deserved it. He was large and round, with a face that looked as though it had been squished in a thousand times. His long, bulbous nose was always turned up and covered in hairy warts. But she was _not_ in the mood for a third beating this week. She kept her fists clenched by her side and her deep breaths going. It was hard, but she’d make it. 

“Or is she mute? Is that it? I’d gladly take one who knows to be seen and not heard.”

_Well then. Bring it on, bitch. I could talk for hours about how I loathe you._

“Fat. Dumbass. Oaf.”

Shann looked as though she _had_ hit him. 

“Smelly. Foul. Toad.” Bea was _not_ going to be bought and she was _not_ going to let this slide. 

His beady, puffy eyes darkened with anger. “I have even less use for rude whores.” He swept around and marched off. 

Bea was extremely glad she had caused him to be dissatisfied. She wasn’t going to take that shit. Not here, not ever. 

The slave master grabbed her hair and pulled her so they were face-to-face. “I’ll deal with you later.” He tried to shove her off her feet and began to chase after what could’ve been a customer. “Master Shann! Wait!”

She was in for a beating tonight. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too bad. Even Lukas knew that bruised slaves didn’t fetch good prices. 

If only Beatrice Snicket had known that she wouldn’t have to deal with the likes of Lukas soon enough, she may have gone further. 

A shadow crossed over her. 

“That would be unwise, my young friend.” _Merrick._

She was now sitting on her knees, catching her breath. She looked up at the young minstrel who took a seat beside her. 

“I don’t care. I’m not a slave, and never will be.” Her head was held high even in such despondent conditions.

Merrick shook his own manacles, and the sound echoed throughout the port. “The iron we wear isn’t exactly a set of jewelry.”

Dirty, limp flags that had once been as green as the sea now sagged gray above buildings as the calls of the seagulls echoed above the crowded port. Fisherman sold their catch of the day as farmers herded cattle through alleyways, passing stray dogs looking through the trash. The air was ridiculously thick. Thick with the stench of fish. Rotting fish and filthy animals and sweating people. A sea breeze tried relentlessly to combat it and failed more and more by the second. 

But the worst of it came from the slaves. Men, women, and children. Released from the cramped, foul confines of ships after months of travel, the weary imprisoned were now lined up along the platforms for sale. 

The children didn’t run as fast and were bagged first. That’s why there were so many of them. 

“It shouldn’t be allowed. Snatching people from their lives like this. And for what? Money.” Bea looked down at the small children, sorrow clutching her heart. This shouldn’t be okay. They were _children!_ They had lives to live and people to love them, and they were being taken for _money_ . And now they were hopeless. At thirteen years old, she was a child herself. It hurt her to see some slumped in some sort of quiet despair, and some still sweeping the crowd as if their parents were still able to rescue them. _What cruel fates for people so innocent._

“It _isn’t_ allowed,” Merrick responded. “The Great Houses certainly don’t tolerate slavery. But we’re much more than a long way out of their protection or its reach. He brushed the dirt off his motley. His costume might’ve once been alive with color, but it had all faded to a drab gray in his many years of being chained. It wasn’t like her clothes were any better. Her beret had once been raspberry, but it was faded and dirty to a white-brown. Her jacket, top, and skirt had been varying shades of brown and mauve once. Now, they were the color of the earth and equally coated with such. Her socks were practically destroyed at this point, and her once-shiny, black shoes were scuffed and gray. The only thing that seemed fresh and new were her bright hazel eyes. They shone with the moon and the stars of a midsummer night in a distant wood. 

Merrick began again. “I bet you never thought you’d end up here when you ran away from home.” 

Bea fingered her amulet. It was charcoal colored and carved to look like some kind of reptile. Her uncle had carved it for someone whom he said had a smile that could’ve meant anything. The necklace had made its way to her mother, who gave it to her when the girl had first gone. 

“I didn’t run away.” She responded softly. 

“No? What was it then?”

It’s no business of yours.”

The less Merrick knew about her crime, the better. He could never have kept his mouth shut. It _was_ his job to tell stories, after all. 

And if any of them knew why she’d left home, she would be stuck in a tree by the neck before the story was finished being told. 

“Did you commit some dastardly offense?” He winked dramatically for effect. “That’s it, isn’t it? You stole the heart of some fair maiden, but her evil baron father had already promised her to some old earl’s son and now she’s pining for you in her tower? Oh, the pain she must feel.” 

This brought a mirthless smile to Bea’s face. “Of course not!”

“What a shame. That would’ve made a good tale,” he said. “So, tell me, what brought you here?”

“ _Here_ ? Merrick, I don’t know where ‘here’ _is_!”

“Well, Lady Beatrice,” he began jokingly, in an effort to lighten the mood. “You are in Cutlass!” He swept his arms around at the view. “The largest port along the Sword Coast. A place where you can buy _anything._ And I mean _anything_ anything. This ahem… wondrous place is home to slavers and pirates, and is the natural habitat of gentlemen of little virtue.”

Bea chuckled. “Gentlemen of little virtue? Such as yourself, perhaps?” She teased. 

Merrick raised an eyebrow, smiling. In the same tone, he responded, “Ah, so there is a wit beneath the bundle of thatch you call hair.”

In mock offense, she huffed and turned away, although her lips still turned up at the corners. “I’m not stupid!”

“I don’t know what you are, little Bea. Shall we find out?” He pinched her shoulder and she batted him away laughing. “No, we shan’t. I am what I tell you what I am.” She grabbed his wrist and forced his arm backward. 

“You’re strong, but most from your origins are. You still have all your own teeth, that’s a plus. But you _seriously_ lack charm and, no offense, you’re not particularly attracti- hey!”

“Bitch!” She was still laughing, but she had started to twist the arm she held. “Come on, take it back!”

“Fine- fine! I take it back. Fuck you!”

She released her grip on his arm and after a moment of relief, he resumed his rambling. 

“Can you sing? Dance? Come now, you’re a smart girl. Aren’t you good at something?”

“I’m good at lots of things.” Then, with a cold, mirthless smile, she muttered, “Just _bad_ things.”

He heard her, she knew. But Merrick had learned that much about her within two days of her capture. It wasn’t new to him. 

Still, he shook his head. “All joking aside, if you’re not careful, Lukas _will_ sell you to the mines. And you do _not_ want to end up there. Trust me on that.”

“I will go to no mine, nor will I be a slave! Uncle said it was better to be free but hungry than fat but enslaved.” He’d also felt the need to define enslaved for her the first time he’d said it, and she’d had to remind him that she _knew what enslaved meant_.

Merrick sighed. “Uncles, like most men, say stupid things.”

Taken aback, Bea snapped at him. “Don’t you dare say that! You don’t know a thing about my uncle!”

As entertaining as Merrick was for a companion, her uncle was worth more than him exponentially. All this minstrel could do was play the lute, sing horribly, and tell pointless stories. Her uncle could’ve done that and more a hundred times better. He could do anything. He’d been there when her father, Dewey, had died. He’d taken care of her siblings and her and helped her mother, his sister, in any way he was able to. He’d taught Bea to-

_That’s why you’re here. Don’t think about that._

Merrick raised his hands in a surrender that Bea knew was not true. “I apologize, little irascible Beatrice. I am sure your uncle is a _paragon_ of wisdom.”

She rolled her eyes. Typical Merrick. He was able to hide insults in compliments so easily, it was as though he had the tongue of a viper. Quick, yet so twisted in the falsehood it spread. 

Other buyers walked along the line, perusing their possible new servants. One or two stared at Bea, and she glared back. Apparently, no one wanted a surly kitchen-maid. 

But one woman wasn’t scared off. 

A swordswoman. Bea recognized that immediately. She’d dealt with a few too many on the road before her capture. She knew to keep _well_ away from them. 

The swordswoman sat easily in her saddle on a midnight-black stallion, elbows resting on the pommel. The horse pulled at weeds on the side of the trough next to it as she perused. 

She wasn’t rich, judging by her plain tunic and muddled cloak, and her well-worn boots. Her sword didn’t seem very valuable or like anything special, but it did seem as though it had been used a _lot_. 

Her eyes, framed by auburn hair, were dark and dead. Haunted. Eyes that had seen too much, displaying a past burdened with mistakes and regret. 

She flicked the reins. The weeds pulled free and she and her horse had melted into the crowd as quickly as they’d appeared. 

Bea turned back to Merrick. “What about you, Merrick? Aren’t you scared of ending up down in a mine?”

He waved his long fingers. “What barbarian would waste such _talented_ digits on digging rocks? I’ve played for all six Great Houses. I have danced along the mirrored walls of the Prism Palace and sung through the sorrowful, dark halls of Castle Gloom to-”

“You’ve met the Shadows?” Bea interrupted. “The lords of _death_?”

“I think they prefer the term ‘ _necromancer_ ’, but yes. I am acquainted with the leaders of Gehenna.”

 _Necromancer_. Another word that Bea wished she’d known earlier. It had a nice sound. Elegant, almost. But elegant words made no difference. The Shadows’ terror was known throughout the world. Evil beings who drank the blood of their enemies and dined on innocents and raised the dead from their graves to have zombies as servants, they were known to all as the monsters children were told of when they were sent to bed at night. 

She was about to respond, but their conversation was cut short by a shrill scream. _The triplets!_

A set of triplets had been captured, and taking pity on their age, Beatrice had taken responsibility for them. She kept them out of trouble and shared her food with them. Sometimes Merrick joined her in her caretaking, but she alone had grown fond of them. But now Malcolm was shrieking as his sister Theodora was dragged away from his grasp by Master Shann. Q was trying their best to pull her away, but they were young, malnourished, and weak.

“Leave them. There’s nothing you can do.” Merrick was trying his best to help her out, Bea knew. Most people would’ve left them to it, too. Most people would try to save their own skin, protecting themselves at the triplets’ expense. 

_Yeah, some people. But not me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! The wind is changing... there's a storm coming on...


	3. "There's a wolf even in a mongrel..."

The sheer willpower she had in this moment was quite unusual, but she pushed her thoughts aside as only one thing resonated in her mind.  _ Save the triplets.  _ Bea shook away from him, leaping onto Lukas’ back. Thea used this distraction to bite Master Shann’s hand, and he let go with a shriek of pain. 

“What are you waiting for?” She cried to them. “Go!” 

And so Q grabbed Thea who grabbed Malcom and they dashed off, disappearing into the crowd. 

A guard swung his cudgel at Bea, who dodged. It hit Lukas’ instead with a sickening crack. She charged the man, striking him down with a very hard blow to the stomach. 

“After them!” Lucas tried to yell, but his voice was spluttery and weak due to the blow he had taken to the side of his head. Realizing this, he pulled a very sharp, wicked-looking knife from his belt. “You’re going to pay for this!” He growled at Bea. She tried to back away, but the remaining guards circled around her. They’d lost three slaves and one man was already down. They were definitely in the mood to beat someone up. And they definitely didn’t want to lose a fourth. So Beatrice Snicket decided to stand her ground. There was nothing else she could do, anyway. She scolded herself for this.  _ All this for a tiny set of triplets. Not the best deal. _

“You’re going to be  _ my personal servant _ ,” he said, tone laced with danger. She knew what he meant by that. Even worse than the mines.

“But you and I both know what I want you for.” He spoke again, shaking with fury. She held herself in a defensive stance.

“And you won’t need to  _ see _ where you’re going. So I think I’ll take out those pretty eyes of yours, girlie!” Said eyes went wide, trembling with her own rage. Her worst fear confirmed, the girl tried to back away. She'd have to keep her mouth shut if she wanted to escape with her life, though. 

The circle began to come closer, smaller and smaller as they went.

“Ten sovereigns for the girl.”

Everyone froze, turning to look at the speaker. She spoke in a final, dangerous tone. Her auburn hair was pulled back from her face. She sat tall atop her black warhorse, her sword at her hip. And her haunted eyes met Bea’s own that seemed innocent in comparison. It was the swordswoman who’d watched her earlier.

She dangled a black leather pouch in front of the slaver, her eyes bored. “Ten.”

Bea was not relieved, still ensnared by terror.

The guards and the slaver were frozen in fear, and Merrick ran forwards. “Mistress Jaquelyn!” He bowed deeply. “How wonderful to see you again!”

She smiled. “Hello, Merrick. A shame to see you in shackles, though I cannot say I am surprised.”

“I am flattered you remember me, Mistress.” His head brushed the ground.

“I don’t easily forget anyone, Merrick.” She frowned, gesturing him to stand.

“Of- of course, Mistress! Apologies.” Merrick offered, standing and rushing out of her way. She nodded her acceptance of his apology and then turned back to the slaver. “Ten sovereigns for the girl, and a crown for the minstrel.” A crown wasn’t worth much, but Lukas nodded with wide eyes. “Bring them to the Mermaid Inn tonight, and prepare the girl for a journey.”

“But-but Mistress, she needs to be punished! To be made an example of!” Lukas told the woman. It did nothing to stop the tremors that wracked the young girl.

Jaquelyn leaned forward, casually brushing the hilt of her sword. Her tone was honey-sweet. “I’m sorry, did you say something?”

He shook his head, motioning to the guards to remove their shackles. Jaquelyn had them  _ terrified _ . 

No one just pays ten sovereigns and wants nothing in return. This woman wanted something from her, that much was evident. 

She just had to figure out what it was.

As the swordswoman left, Bea rubbed her free wrists. They hurt, but it was a good feeling somehow. Still, she was terrified and fell to her knees from sheer overwhelmedness when the attention was turned from her. Merrick hurried to her side.“Bea? Bea, it’s okay. He can’t hurt you now, you’ve been bought. It’s okay.”

Bea shook her head. “I don’t know who she is. She’ll likely hurt me too.”

“Bea,” he began gently. “Mistress Jaquelyn is an executioner. She’s covert about it, but she has no reason to hurt you. She works for a Great House, and slaves aren’t allowed there. She’s setting you free.”

Beatrice nodded. “And you, too?”

“And me. We can help each other out, okay?”

“Who- who does she serve?”

Merrick stayed silent. The girl looked to the executioner’s retreating figure.

The woman wore black, from her cloak to her boots. Even the pouch of coins she’d given the slaver was black.

Jaquelyn served House Shadow.

\--

Later that night, Bea stood in front of a table at an inn, in sturdy boots and a fur-lined coat. 

“Sit,” Jaquelyn ordered. “Eat.” The plate was piled high with roasted chicken swimming in an ocean of gravy, dotted with islands of peas and turnips. The smell made Bea’s mouth water. Before she could move, Lukas began to ruffle her hair under her hat. She snapped away from his touch. One murderous glance from the executioner and his hands were back at his side as though she’d burned him with her glare. “Uh- lice-free and good as new, Mistress Jaquelyn! She could walk a thousand miles in those boots, they’re the stoutest I’ve ever seen. And her coat is guaranteed to keep her warm all the way into the north!” Jaquelyn eyed him. “And?” Lukas cleared his throat. “It’s quite a lot of work to climb that hill. I could do with a few drinks before I go back down. What do you say?”

“Leave.” She responded bluntly.

He hesitated. A woman had defied him, and he couldn’t do anything about it. All three of them knew that she wouldn’t hesitate to end his life then and there. Already she didn’t like him. Jaquelyn didn’t tolerate pedophiles. Or arrogant men. Or most people, really. 

“I said leave.” She didn’t even look up from her meal. “So leave.”

His expression darkened, but he turned and slammed the door. Jaquelyn decided to keep an eye out. She knew the kind of man he was. He’d probably try to kill her within the next few nights. She looked at Bea. “Why aren’t you eating? You look hungry.” 

Bea  _ was _ hungry. She hadn’t had a proper meal in months. She’d grown scrawny and sickly-looking in such time. But she knew Lukas would find her again, would enslave her and hurt her again. He was like that. And this woman worked for the Shadows, and she’d been taught by her friends to never trust anything a Shadow or their associates gave her. She sat silently for a moment, the warmth of the place and the executioner’s protective nature eventually leading her to a haven of sorts. And, finally, she found her voice. “Why all this? Are you trying to fatten me up? Feed me to your masters? Will I be served with gravy, too?”

Jaquelyn smiled. “Of course not! Fattening you up looks to be an impossible task. You look like you’ve been starving for years.” She put her hand out for Bea to take, which she hesitantly did. “Now, eat!”

Bea smiled softly at the kindness the executioner was displaying. It was almost motherly. She began to eat, hunger winning over all sense and mannerisms. She attacked the warm, flavorful chicken like a wolf at winter’s end. Fire bloomed in her mouth as she dug into her first decent meal in a very long time, and she quickly drank from the mug next to her. It was a rootbeer float, the kind her uncle liked to have. The memories stopped her for a moment, but then that moment passed and she was possessed by ravenousness once more. When she finished her food, more came. When she finished her drink, it was refilled.

A raspberry-rose pie came with pastry thicker than her thumb and coated in custard. Bea’s eyes followed the steam that rose as she broke it with her spoon, immediately taking a bite. It burned as she swallowed. She ignored it. 

A question came to her mind, and she looked up in concern at the executioner. “Mistress Jaquelyn?”

The woman looked back at her. “Yes?”

“Where’s Merrick?”

“Gone.”

Bea stared at the woman. “Gone  _ where _ ?”

She laughed. “I didn’t kill him, if that’s your query.”

“No. But he is my friend. Don’t you want him as your minstrel?” Bea wondered. After all, what other reason would that woman have to buy him?

“Have you ever heard him sing?” Jaquelyn smirked.

“He sounds like a bag of cats.” Bea smiled, relaxing a bit more.

“So, now you know. I bought him to free him. He’ll end up in chains again, no doubt, but another chance may do him a small bit of good, at least.” The woman’s voice was nonchalant. 

Bea nodded, going back to her plate. As she ate, she looked over the woman who’d bought her. Jaquelyn had auburn hair in waves and a smallish face with luminous eyes, though they still looked as though she’d been through hell and back a multitude of times. She seemed wiry, a bit taller than Bea. She seemed nice enough. 

But as her uncle used to say,  _ There’s a wolf even in a mongrel, a phrase which here means that anyone can be threatening, no matter how old or weak they seem.  _ Perhaps he’d known this woman, or someone like her. Perhaps he’d known she’d use the phrase at some point. Perhaps it was just a coincidence.

After three more helpings, Bea finished eating, sitting back a little in her seat. 

“How old are you?” Jaquelyn asked abruptly.

“Thirteen, ma’am.”

“I’ve seen that before.” She pointed to the girl’s amulet. “What is it?”

She clutched it in a protective movement. “It’s not worth anything.”

“It- it looks like a carpenter’s mark. Is it?” She decided not to mention the carving looking the same as a certain legendary beast loyal to House Coral.of

She released it and nodded, a proud smile flitting onto her face at the mention of the uncle she very much idolized. “My uncle carved it for someone he cared about, and it made its way to me eventually.”

“Your uncle is a carpenter?”

“He’s mostly a writer, but he does it and woodcutting on the side. It’s a hobby of sorts, and it brings in a little extra money. Sculptures, doors, that type. He marks it with this design sometimes, if it’s very special. To mark it in a set, sometimes.”

Of course, that hadn’t been his only trade, but no one needed to know that. 

“And you earn enough with just that?” Jaquelyn was getting at something. Bea wouldn’t let her have it.

“Well, my father works, too. And my mother and siblings and I tend the animals we have and help out farmers on occasion. It isn’t much, but it keeps us fed.” The girl responded carefully.

“Nothing else?”

“Nothing.”

“Can I see your hands?” The executioner asked. Bea complied hesitantly. 

Jaquelyn gently brushed the callouses, indicating which ones she was talking about. “You’re definitely used to an axe, but these marks? Most archers have them.”

“So does everyone who uses a shovel!” Bea retorted. These observations were  _ way _ too close to the truth. A truth no one was supposed to know.

“What about a quill? Do you know how to read?”

Bea nodded. Her parents had insisted that she’d learn when she was younger, as they had in their youth. But now she couldn’t afford paper or ink. She wished she could send letters to her family and hear the news she needed to know. They needed to know she was safe and she needed to know they were alright. “What do you want from me?” She asked suspiciously.

“This, that and the occasional thing.”

“That’s not an answer.” Bea’s voice had hardened. It wasn’t so hard to tell her what was going on, was it?   
“Beatrice, do you know what an executioner does?”

“Of course I do. Is this a trick question of some sort?” She assumed Lukas had told Jaquelyn what her name was. He hadn’t, really, but she didn’t know that.

“I deal with threats to House Shadow, whom I’m sworn to protect. Some are  _ very _ covert, and some are not. I know the right questions to ask and how to get everything underneath an answer.”

“What, you think I’m a threat to the Great House that’s inspired the precautionary tales parents always tell their children?” That was almost a laughable prospect, they both knew.

“No, child. What I’m saying is that I know when I’m being lied to.”


	4. “You’ve a new home now. Castle Gloom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Susan for helping me out with a segment in this chapter!

The next morning, executioner and squire headed northwest along the Cliff Roads. The sky dripped with drizzle over an angry sea and a bitter wind. Bea snuggled her face deeper into the fur of her coat. Jaquelyn rode on her warhorse, her squire following on a donkey. The girl was fairly certain it was approaching mid-October. At home, wisps of summer would still be on the air, everyone trying to catch them as they slowly slipped away. But here, the winds of the winter swept upon them already. Bea had promised to help one of the farmers with the harvest in return for enough flour to make bread all winter. The harvest was a month ago. 

Jaquelyn barely spoke. Beatrice was used to silence. There was a lot of it when she and her uncle hunted together, but this was a different type of silence. This one hung heavy in the air, bearing down on them.

One morning, at breakfast by a roadside inn, Bea ventured to ask a question. She just needed to hear some kind of sound between the two. “Where are we going?”

“Home.” Jaquelyn responded curtly. It was too early in the morning for a detailed response.

“Home?” Bea’s heart skipped a beat. “To Stour?”

“Stour?” Jackie looked at her strangely. “Is that where you’re from?”

She nodded. _She’s talking about_ her _home! Not yours, galaxy brain!_

“It’s a village in the Free Duchies, near Herne’s Forest. It’s not very large, but it has everything I’ve ever really wanted.” And it did. It had the largest, juiciest apples in the area. They were always tart, but she loved them that way. There was a river that her sister Lilac loved to skate on in the winter and her brother Nick loved to swim in during the summer. There was a small pond where she’d take her little sister Solitude to catch frogs whenever she liked, and her home. Built by her mother and father when they’d married, made of cozy timber and thatched straw. Her sister, April, had taken decoration into her own hands when she’d grown old enough, painting elaborate designs and portraits on the inner and outer walls. There was a very nice kitchen, and her sister Sensible practically lived there. Their meals were home-cooked and exquisite, though her parents initially had some qualms about a child working in the kitchen. Her brother Colin had dominated the library, conducting the entire flow of it. It was one of everyone’s favorite places, and the family would often spend a very long time huddled together inside it, reading their respective books on comfy chairs or the floor with blankets. Oh, how she missed it! All of it, all of them. Her uncle and her mother and her siblings were close, but they depended on her. They were all interdependent. And she was the only one in the family who knew how to hunt.

“Well, it’s best if you forget it. You’ve a new home now. Castle Gloom.” Jaquelyn fully intended to let her go back eventually, but she first had to establish her authority. Besides, it was highly unlikely this child would survive such a mission. Even becoming her successor was unlikely for most, though this girl had something else. A sort of promise she couldn’t quite face

“How far?” Bea tried to recall her mother’s geography lessons, but she’d never really paid them much mind. She greatly regretted this now, though she’d paid attention during her uncle’s language and writing classes. She always had paid more interest in what Lemony Snicket was going to teach than the others.

“We’ll begin into the Raven’s Wood, and after a fortnight or so we’ll pass the River Styx and end in Gehenna.”

Gehenna. With sharp, jagged mountains. Where the dead walked and the sun never shone on anyone. _Sounds cheery_ , she thought sarcastically.

Bea wished she’d been rescued by a better House. Though her family had never spoken ill of the Shadows, she’d heard the tales. Why couldn’t she get bought by something like House Coral? They were a very great House. A powerful land shrouded in mystery, protected by a great beast known as nothing but the Great Unknown. It was said that this fearsome beast could be controlled by the Corals themselves. It was a kingdom of prosperity and knowledge and wisdom. 

She wouldn’t be a very good knight, but they took female squires, too. She could take care of the kelpies the mer-knights rode, cheering hers on at tournaments and jousts. She’d tend the weapons and armor, and serve at feasts. And she’d be able to see the wonderful libraries of legend that resided there for herself.

That would’ve been nice.

Instead, she was being sent to the land of cold and sorrows, of misfortune and deceit. It was a land of death. She’d probably be sent to work in the kitchen, making gravy to serve with corpses for the Shadows at dinnertime. Or maybe chopping them up herself.

“What’s Lord Shadow like?” She asked. She’d never known much about the Shadow rulers, but Lady Beatrice Shadow was a woman her uncle had admired a lot. Her mother had named her for her, with the well wishes that she’d grow up to be strong and independent and fearless just as she’d said her namesake had.

“Dead.” Jaquelyn responded, deadpan. “He was assassinated with his wife and son six months ago. His daughter, Sunshade Shadow, is the ruler of Gehenna now.”

“ _Sunshade?_ What kind of name is Sunshade?” Bea smiled.

Jaquelyn looked so tired of answering that question. It was likely she had to explain it a lot. “It is meant to be the clouds that cover the sun, the ice over the fire, the darkness over light.”

Bea nodded, fascinated. That name now seemed very powerful. She pictured a tall vampire with sleek black hair and skin as pale as milk, with bloody fangs and dangerous, hungry eyes. In conclusion, she shouldn’t go out at night in Gehenna if she wanted to survive the next day.

Jaquelyn dropped a few pennies onto the table. “Let’s go. We want to make it back in time for the feast.”

 _Feast?_ Bea stood as the executioner did. Raven’s Wood sounded big. 

Bea loved the woods. The bigger the better, to her. Stour wasn’t near Herne’s forest. It was a part of it. And it was home. Almost since the day she learned to walk, Bea followed her uncle into the woods. She knew so much more than how to carve trees or chop wood. And the forest was a part of her. 

Castle Gloom had never been that, and never would be. 

Stour was her home, and it was time she went back. She’d been gone long enough.

\--

_Wait until she’s asleep. Move when she’s asleep._

They’d made it past the sea and into Raven’s Wood. By noon, the smell of brine had been swept from the air, and the scent of the earth and the forest was in its place. The canopy had left the road ahead in shadows and twilight, which was perfect for her. There was nothing to stop her from disappearing into it. Still, the eternal void in her stomach that came from two months of living on near refuse gnawed at her.

“We’ll camp here. Are you hungry?” Jaquelyn asked after a moment.

Bea nodded, unsure what the executioner wanted. She already knew that she hid, so what could it be now? In any case, her verdict was to tread carefully. It was uncertain what this woman would do if she knew the truth. 

“Then we best find food,” she replied.

Bea nodded, dropping to one knee to search for tracks. There were some rabbit droppings nearby. Upon closer inspection, she noticed they were fresh. “There’s a trail. There must be a warren nearby!”

“Well, let’s get ‘em then.” Jaquelyn responded, following the young girl. “You do know how to trap rabbits, right?”

 _Stupid!_ She’d walked right into a trap. “No… not really…” She answered, softly and carefully.

“Odd, isn’t it, that a carpenter’s daughter who knows so much of the habits of rabbits knows not how to catch them,” Jaquelyn said, cocking her head to one side.

Bea froze. _Heck._ So much for being careful. “But… you do know, right? Surely you’ve had much experience with hunting, Mistress Jaquelyn.” Bea responded quickly, abruptly standing up again. The executioner shrugged. “I’ve got it down.”

“Well,” the girl began cautiously, “maybe we should set a trap near the warren? As you said, I don’t know much about catching rabbits, but I figured it would be faster than waiting for one to come all the way out here.” Already off her donkey, Bea began to set up camp. Jaquelyn followed suit. “That’s a good idea,” she said, her tone betraying nothing. “Will- will you teach me? So that I know how to do it next time?” Bea had walked right into a trap. She wanted to prevent that from happening again. “Maybe we should’ve bought from that fishmonger back at Cutlass.”

The executioner shook her head. “I want rabbit. Watch.” She set a trap close to the warren, everything carefully and expertly placed. Bea would’ve put it closer to the stream, though. Rabbits were less wary when they smelled water. 

And a few hours later, they had spit-roasted rabbit for dinner.

The stars were awake, the silver moon a sharp scimitar in the inky sky. 

_The High King’s Crown!_ Bea smiled as she recognized the same constellations and same stars as her home. _And the Manticore’s Tail!_ Here, by the fire in the forest, she could close her eyes and almost, _almost_ pretend she was back home. The horse and donkey were grazing close to the campsite. As Jaquelyn added twigs to the fire, it glowed bright ruby red and crackled. Then she settled down, her sword at her side. 

Bea knew what would happen next. A nice meal, warm fire, and thick blanket would have the executioner fast asleep very soon. 

As if on cue, Jaquelyn’s head dropped low, snoring softly. Bea waited a moment with bated breath as the sounds of Jaquelyn’s sleep filled the night. Watching for the smallest flicker of eyelids, she carefully got up and began to sneak away. 

Her boots creaked.

Bea froze, watching the executioner. Jaquelyn just shifted a little, but that was all.

With a silent sigh of relief, she carried on. She needed money to get home, and Jaquelyn’s wallet was on her belt. There was no way she’d make it there, so she settled to take her sword. It’d sell for a lot. 

She carefully crept across the campsite, careful of anything that would make noise. Just as her uncle had taught her. 

She silently took the sword, resting it over her shoulder the same way she had her father’s axe all those years ago.

_Sell the sword, buy passage to Stour._

It didn’t matter how long it took. Mom would be there waiting for her. Mom and Lilac, and April. And Nick and Colin. And Sensible and Solitude… she missed them more than anything. 

She should’ve stayed. It was her job to get meat for the table, something to add to her sister’s dishes besides the food from Soli’s garden. With her uncle gone, it had been up to her. She’d been gone for far too long.

And maybe, _maybe_ , Uncle Lemony would be there, too. And she’d let him know how sorry she was. _It was all my fault… I did this to them…_

She’d fix this. Bea would make it count. At least, that’s what she wanted to believe.

Jaquelyn’s horse, Thunder, nuzzled her cheek and she stroked his nose. “Shhh…” she whispered. “Let Mistress Jaquelyn sleep. You must stay here and be quiet, alright?”

She really wanted to take him with her, but a peasant riding a warhorse would make it very obvious what was going on. She moved cautiously, avoiding potholes and other things. The glow of the campfire was gone from her sight, now. 

_She’ll never find me. I’ll be safe at home soon._

She checked the moss on a tree. It always grew on the north side, and the Cliff Roads were to the south. Not very far, either. 

A twig snapped ahead of her. 

A man muttered a foul curse. Of course it wasn’t the wind, of course it wasn’t an animal. Just her luck.

Slowly and silently, Bea hid behind a bush. She slid the sword off her shoulder and onto the ground.

The foliage ruffled, a beam of moonlight glinting silver off a steel dagger. 

“Where are they?” A voice hissed. She recognized it immediately. _Lukas._ She shrunk back a little more at the mere tone of his voice. Her pulse was racing. 

It was hard to tell how many were there because of the darkness, but it wasn’t an amount she thought could be easily stopped by a disarmed executioner. 

“The fisherman said they took this path.” Someone replied. “He tried to sell them fish. 

“This is Jaquelyn who we’re after, Lukas.” Another voice said. “I’ve a bad feeling about this.” 

The very voice she dreaded hearing again cut off the panicked thoughts running through her mind. “She’s just one woman. She doesn’t know we’re coming.” Lukas had grabbed one of the guards by his collar. They were visible, now, seven in all. 

They brandished sharpened blades and loaded crossbows, each wearing a piece of salvaged, rusty, dented armor. This was different. When they came for slaves, they had clubs and nets and the chains that had forced her immobile and helpless and vulnerable. 

_They’re here to kill Jaquelyn. They’ll take me next._

“Think about it, lads,” his ghoulish face was even more menacing in the moonlight. “We’ll be the fellas who killed Jaquelyn.” He held up his knife for his men to see. “And the girl? She’ll be bleeding and battered when I catch her.”


	5. “I’d never wish that kind of death upon you. Not you, not anyone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUICK WARNING: There are semi-graphic descriptions of violence, so read at your own risk!   
> JOSH KHAN READ THIS FIC HOLY FUCK  
> Therefore, this chapter is dedicated to him for taking the time to read it and respond. Thank you so much!   
> It is also dedicated to the VFDiscord, who first gave me the motivation and drive to start this whole thing and were super supportive of my departure. I love you all so much, and I hope to be back with you soon. Already I miss you more than I can express.

The bushes rustled and steel glinted. 

Bea jumped back in horror, dread filling her body.  _ They’re going to kill her in her sleep! _ She had to get up and she had to  _ do something _ . And she had to do it  _ now _ . 

_ Her sword! _ The girl realized it too late. She’d left Jaquelyn’s sword behind in the bushes when she ran!

A whoosh of metal startled her, and she whipped around just in time to see a large brute swinging his ax into the sleeping woman’s body. She was too late.

Lukas stabbed downward. Hard. “Nice job men! Now, where’s the girl? I heard her screams.” There were various shouts and cries of, “She went that way!” “Let’s get her!” Among others of that nature. “Lads, lads!” Lukas called, quieting them down. “I need her  _ alive _ . I have a  _ very, very special job for her _ .”

Bea shuddered and shrank farther into the shadows as she’d been taught. Her eyes began to fill with tears.  _ It’s my fault. I couldn’t do it. She would’ve been alive if I hadn’t run. _

The men seemed to have forgotten about her, kicking around Jaquelyn’s body and mocking the woman. “Let’s have a look!” One of the men cried, pulling up the blanket while his fellows responded with obscene comments that Bea would rather unhear. 

Jaquelyn wasn’t under it.

Some clothing and a saddle made the lump under the blanket, and a figure stepped out of the woods holding a giant branch. It connected with the man’s head, breaking his skull. It was audible.

“Run or die. Your choice.” Jaquelyn’s voice was sickly sweet, with a relentless undertone.

Seven men stood in front of her, weapons almost slipping from fourteen sweaty palms. But none ran.

“Alright then. You’ve chosen.” She smiled as they charged, immediately spurred into action. And Bea ran in the other direction. 

She could hear the sounds of the battle going on behind her, but her only goal was to get far away from it. Steel bit branch. Someone had tried to strike the executioner down. And missed

_ Bad mistake. _

And she suddenly felt the ground give way.

Bea was on the ground, her head swimming. There was no more noise. Was it over? She found herself inside a sinkhole, the walls too slick to climb up. She was stuck.

_ Fucking wonderful. As if it could get any worse _ .

She heard footsteps coming towards her. 

_ Shit… apparently. _

Someone had obviously won. But was it slaver or executioner? 

A silhouette appeared at the edge of the hole. “Need a hand?” The auburn-haired woman asked. She was quite bruised, but even more alive. The branch was covered in blood.

“Did-did you kill them all?” Beatrice asked, softly and tentatively.

“How many were there?”

“Seven.”

“Then yes, I killed them all.”

_ Seven men with a fucking stick. No wonder the world’s so afraid of her. _

How this woman could act so nonchalant about the blood on her hands was beyond Bea, but she’d never been an executioner. She’d never known what it was like to have to take lives for so long that one would just become numb. And she likely never would. But Jaquelyn had no alternative. She never had. “Doesn’t it bother you? Bringing death upon all of them?”

“Does cutting down trees bother  _ you _ ?” The executioner responded. 

“It’s not the same.” Bea said, though a part of her didn’t exactly believe it.

“One day you might think differently.” Jaquelyn reached down. “Grab hold of my hand and I’ll pull you up.”

Bea forced a smile, bruised arms crossed. “You know, I think I quite like it down here.”

“Don’t be silly. You’re hurt. Let me help.”

“And then what? I ran off. I’m not accepting your help if you’re just going to beat me.”

Jaquelyn looked slightly hurt. “I would never. You came back, and I honestly didn’t expect that. Most probably wouldn’t have done that.”

“I’d never wish that kind of death upon you.” Bea’s response was genuine. “Not upon anyone, really.”

“Even someone like me?” Jaquelyn’s smile was a strange one. Bea had never seen one with such sadness behind it. Not when her uncle saved her for the last time, not when he came back to his sister to explain everything.

“Even someone like you. I would still appreciate being let go, though. I miss my family.” It would be fair, after all, since she had tried to save Jaquelyn. Even when Jaquelyn didn’t exactly need her help.

“I’m sorry, Bea. But life isn’t exactly fair and I do need you for something very important. Maybe if the Lady Shadow permits, your family can come in time.” She tossed the branch aside to show that she was unarmed. “Will you try?”

Bea nodded slowly, letting the executioner pull her up. “Do you really think they can come?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t know if Castle Gloom can afford much more people. But we can try.”

“I can get them now and return! I’ll just buy passage across the sea and make it by a land journey.”

“Oh?” Jaquelyn smiled. “Which sea?” She honestly hadn’t expected her to know any.

“The Sea of the Lost Gods!” Bea responded immediately, unsure why Jaquelyn looked to her like that.

Her mother  _ was _ Kit Snicket, after all. That woman had put so much work into making sure all her children were educated as she was.

“Bea, you are well-educated. Smart, and brave. But you’re reckless. And for that reason, you’ll probably be dead before you reach port.” Jaquelyn’s eyes were gleaming with something Bea had never seen. Some kind of memory, perhaps? “We need authorization first, anyway.”

Bea nodded. Reckless, like her mother. Especially with driving. She smiled, remembering Mother trying to teach Lilac to drive. It had been an absolute nightmare! “What can I do, then?”

“Start by telling me the truth.” Jaquelyn’s response sounded as though she’d been waiting to say that the entire journey. 

Unsure, Bea cocked her head at the executioner. Her voice hardened. “Give me one reason to trust you.”

“Here’s seven. If I was an enemy, you’d be with them.” Jaquelyn pointed back. “And I’m with VFD. You can trust VFD.”

“That’s  _ bullshit.”  _ Bea spat. “Why the hell would I trust a ‘secret organization’ that forces people to do wicked things for so-called ‘noble’ purposes?” Her parents and uncle had gone to great lengths to keep them out of it, and she and her siblings had quickly figured out that it was a cult. No matter how much the adults hadn’t wanted to believe it.

“It is  _ not! _ We just work to make the world quieter and safer.” Jaquelyn was very annoyed. This girl knew nothing, or so she thought.

“Whatever. Go off, I guess. I won’t trust you because of VFD, though. It’ll probably be because you didn’t kill me.”

“Fine.”

Bea’s eyes had turned to the blood-spattered branch beside her. “I…”  _ I did this to them. _ “I did something bad. Very bad.” She felt as though the blood on her hands were as fresh as that which she looked at.

“And my uncle took the blame. I should’ve told them I did it. I should’ve said something.”  _ They’re in pain right now. Because of me. _

“What then?” Jaquelyn asked gently.

“They were- they were going to hang him.” Tears of guilt, of shame, of regret pooled in her eyes. “He got away. I went from village to village, searching. I planned to come back by the end of the summer but Lukas and his cronies caught me.”  _ They don’t have food… they don’t have bread… they’re suffering… _

The tears began to fall. She was supposed to stay, to care for them. She should’ve, too. 

Jaquelyn pulled her into a hug, wiping her tears. “You plan on going back without finding him?” Her voice was gentle, not accusatory. She knew Bea was leaving things out, but now wasn’t a good time to pry.

Bea didn’t push the executioner away. Right now, she simply didn’t have the strength. She was bruised outside, and her heart had hurt since the day she’d done this to her family. “I planned to be back by now, helping with the harvest.”

“Here’s a deal.” Jaquelyn’s voice was still gentle. “There are no slaves in Gehenna. You can serve as my squire for a year and a day, and I’ll let you go home with a sack of gold and safe passage.” 

“A year and a day?!” That was way too long. “Mistress Jaquelyn, they  _ need  _ me! I have to help my family!” Bea cried. They were dependant on her and hunting was her job. And they were suffering without her. Of hunger, of thirst, of heartbreak. “Six months.”

“Your task involves a year and a day, and they’ve survived this long without you.” Jaquelyn responded, letting her go.

“Eight months?” Bea offered.

“Twelve. And a day.”

“Ten months.”

“No.” Jaquelyn began to walk back to camp. Bea stood. “But why me? Why not another girl? Thea, for instance. Why not her?”

“Thea, Q, and Malcom are royals of House Djinn. I saw to it that they’re travelling safely with a very skilled librarian. And I have my secrets, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you @midas-touch-of-angst for Lilac, Nick, and Solitude, and @sqmmie for April, Colin, Sensible, Thea, Malcolm, and Q!


	6. “I could have magical powers!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Location 2: Castle Gloom  
> POV: Lady Sunshade Lilith Hecate Shadow

“Sunny, you’ve got to get up!” Susan shook the sleeping girl awake, a bundle of black nightgown and messy midnight hair. 

“I’m  _ sleeping _ , Suze. Leave me alone!” She curled up, trying to preserve heat. 

“No! The Solars are coming today.” She fiddled with the mantle that looked as though it was made of the tears of the mourning and dyed with death itself on a nearby mannequin that Sunny was supposed to wear that day. “And you have to represent your kingdom.”

“Do I  _ have _ to meet them?” The girl sat up and grabbed her blanket back before Sue could stop her. 

“We don’t have much of a choice right now. When you figure something out that doesn’t involve starting another war, let me know.”

“Whatever. They’re all so far up their own asses, they wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a literal crypt and a house!” She was certain that they’d act as such anyway, an insult disguised in a compliment.

Sue pulled at the blankets again. “Whether they are or not, you have to get up and meet them!”

Sunny was about to retort when a little black snake slithered onto her head, giving her a playful nip.“Ink!”

Susan picked Ink up, sighing in an exasperated manner. “Ink coming inside isn’t exactly ” The woman muttered under her breath.

Now fully awake, Sunny had no choice but to get out of bed. She wrapped a velvet robe over her black nightgown and made her way to the bathroom to get ready. 

When she emerged looking a tiny bit refreshed, Mary began to examine the girl’s hair.

“Ow! Sue,  _ what in the Six are you doing? _ ” Sunny whimpered.

“You’ve been climbing apple trees with Wade again, haven’t you?” Mary pulled a twig out of a snarl in her hair. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She liked climbing trees. It was better than being here. She couldn’t wait until Olivia got back. Olivia was her official nanny, and had taught her secretly to fight, but Suze was her mothers’ guardian as Beatrice had lost her family at a much younger age than her daughter. She’d grown quite dear to the young ruler, as a kind of a grandmother.

“What if you’ve fallen and broken your neck?” Sue asked, brandishing her weapon of a hairbrush. “A lot of people depend on you, Sunny.”

“Don’t care.” Sunny let Ink circle up her arm. “ _ Ow!” _

“Sunny, you have responsibilities. You have to care about your people.” Mary chided.

“Really? I thought my only responsibilities were to sit still and look pretty and keep my mouth shut. My responsibilities are bullshit.”

Sue pulled at the tangles again. “You never keep your mouth shut anyway. Think before you speak, little one. Besides, with your family gone, you’re the ruler of Gehenna. What you do and say  _ matter _ . The Six know how much our realm has suffered, and it’s up to you to bring them to better days. It’s your job to look after Gehenna.” She drew a lock from Sunny’s ear. “And it’s my job to look after you.”

Sunny took Susan’s hand. “You shouldn’t worry about me.”

“ _ Shouldn’t worry?  _ Child, I’ve worried about you since the moment your first tears fell, in this very room. If I don’t look after you, who will?”

Sue’s skin was thin but her hand was soft. Sunny traced the wrinkles, looking up at her eyes. “Who looks after you?”

“I don’t need looking after.” Susan laughed.

“I’d do it anyway.” Sunny’s tone was deadly serious. “I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.” 

Sue kept laughing.

“What’s so funny? I have the blood of the greatest sorcerers flowing through my veins-”

“What did you do to this??” Suze picked up a muddy dressing gown. “I just had it washed!”

“You’re not  _ listening! _ ” Sunny pressed. “I might have awesome magical powers and all you’re concerned about is-”

“A girl can’t  _ do _ magic, Sunny. You know that.”

“I  _ could _ have magical powers.”

“I wish you could too, but apparently sulking isn’t a magical power.”

Sunny glared.

Sue didn’t seem impressed. “Your mother used to do that, too. Glare with all the ferocity of a storm when she was told something she didn’t like.” She turned to a shadowy corner. “Constance, lay out her clothes.”

Constance, Sunny’s handmaiden and her childhood best friend, seemed to have been hidden in the shadows of her room. 

The handmaiden just nodded, holding back a sharp tongue. When they were younger, when Sunny was just plain Sunny Shadow with no prospect of becoming a future ruler, the two would trade outfits and pretend to be one another and get into all sorts of trouble. Sunny loved her brother, but they’d still pretend to be sisters. Constance always had gotten into trouble either way, but they preferred to do it together. But that’d ended five months ago when her family had died and she’d become Lady Shadow. Now all she ever heard from Constance was some variation of “Yes, m’lady,” or “no, m’lady,” if the two ever spoke. It was like the girl was invisible, probably because she secretly practiced magic. The day she’d found out was a day she’d rather forget.

“Constance, are the clothes ready?” Susan asked after a moment.

Constance nodded again, silent as a whisper.

“And the Mantle?”

Another nod.

“The Mantle of Sorrows?” Sunny groaned. “But it’s itchy!”

“That’s sad. You’ll survive, though.” Sue lit candles, the amber glow flying to the far corners of the room, and Constance looked as though she’d been forced into harsh sunlight.

“I don’t belong here.” This was her parents’ room. Their desks were on one side, where she remembered sitting in her father’s lap and playing with his quill as he worked, in a comfy armchair. The black iron of the mirror frame brought her back to times when she’d watch her mother prepare for another royal presence. There was a huge bookshelf in the corner where she and Klaus would work together to reach the books on the top shelf that they figured their parents didn’t want them to read.

Staring at the mirror, a memory came back to her.

In a simple gown of black velvet and dark pearls, Sunny wandered into her parents’ room before a ball, as her mother had promised to do her hair after days of begging relentlessly and utilization of her ultimate power as the younger sibling. Sitting on a small onyx cushion beside her mother, she pushed the hair that Olivia had coaxed into a sort of smoothness behind her ears. Watching the woman weave black diamonds into her immaculate dark hair, Sunny was awestruck. Her fingers were quick and graceful, the pleats infinitely delicate. Seeing the look on her daughter’s face, Lady Beatrice laughed. She sat down beside Sunny. 

“You wanna touch them?”

“ _ How did you do that?” _ It was like magic, especially since she was only eight at the time.

“I braided it. Do you want me to teach you?” Beatrice asked her daughter. Sunny nodded, reaching out to touch the braids carefully, as though they’d dissolve into nothingness at her touch. “Do I get to wear the gems, too, Mama?”

Beatrice’s smile was sad, though proud. She raised her daughter independant and strong, and she knew no better heir to inherit the jewelry she wore in her hair now. “Not yet, my darling. They belong to me!” She tickled Sunny a little, and the girl shrieked with laughter. “But one day,” her mother began as they settled down again. “One day, they’ll be yours.”

“And you’ll be there to help me braid them, right?”

Lady Beatrice shook her head, her smile faltering. “You’ll know how to do it yourself by then.”

Seeing her mother’s sorrow, the harsh reality of what she’d just said came crashing upon her. 

“But- but you’ll be with me still, right? As- as a ghost? Klaus could bring you and Dada back.”

“It’s better to leave the dead asleep, my sweet. We let them rest, correct?”

Sunny sighed. “Yes Mama.”

Tears still welled in her mother’s eyes, and Sunny hugged her tight. “I love you, Mama. So you’re not allowed to die.”

“You won’t let me, will you?” Beatrice smiled at her daughter’s strong will. “I love you, too.” And she hugged her right back. As her mother braided black pearls into the young girl’s hair, Sunny decided that the day the gems would be her own would be far, far into the future. So far that her mother would be able to see the woman she’d grown into. Strong, powerful, independant. Just like her. And she hoped that she’d always stay with her, always there to help her with the braids and the diamonds.

The cold gems now lay alone, awaiting her on the dressing table.

Sunny didn’t want to wear Beatrice’s jewelry. It felt too much like robbing her tomb.

“Hurry, Sunny.” Sue’s voice snapped her out of her mind. “I’ve still got to prepare the guest rooms and sort out the feast!”

Sunny did as she was told, and the woman set to work.

_ “Ow!” _ Sunny cried again as Suze began to use a silver-handled brush through her hair. Ink hissed angrily from her lap. “I’d be better treated by a zombie! I’m not sure why I haven’t dismissed you yet!”

Sue laughed, knowing Sunny didn’t mean it because if she had, she would’ve been dismissed the moment Sunny became Lady Shadow. “Is that right? Like the one your grandfather had? The one that tried to help your father but would keep falling apart?”

“One-Eyed Ron.”

“You mean One-Armed, One-Eared, One-Legged, and finally No-Headed Ron. I always had to pick up after him.”

“ _ OUCH!”  _ Sunny shrieked. 

“Just sit still. Think about who you are and what you represent  _ before _ you open your mouth. You’re Lady Shadow now.”

She shook her head sadly. “No. I was never meant to be.  _ They _ were.”

Susan put a hand on her cheek gently. “I know. And I wish that it could be changed, made better for you. But there’s nothing we can do.”

“I’d rather practice magic. Just- just hear their voices one last time.”

“Don’t. That won’t help anything.”

“I dream about them.” Sunny sighed.

“I dream about them, too. And my sons.” She’d lost them five years ago to war. And now she’d lost her daughter and son-in-law and grandson to someone whom they would never know. “Still causing trouble.” She smiled fondly.

“There are  _ other _ ways, Sue.” The blood of the greatest necromancers flowed through her even now, at her weakest. “To talk to them, visit them-”

“You want to enter the Twilight? Are you insane?” Susan cried. The hairbrush clattered to the floor.

“Grandfather did it. He-”

“The blood of necromancers grow thin, Sunny. Neither you nor Klaus would be able to do that. Even Bertrand couldn’t” Sue glared at her. “We shouldn’t talk about what we can’t change. Explore what we can do now instead of that.”

“But-”

“ _ Now.” _

Susan was very stubborn and there was no point in arguing. Sunny sat still as Suze pulled the tangles out of her hair. She closed her eyes as Sue brought to it the sheen of a raven’s wing. Just hiding in this room with Sue, Ink, and herself, away from the horrible world outside. Forever. That sounded perfect.

“You’re as beautiful as your mother.” Susan saw her daughter in the young woman before her, in everything she did. And she was proud, though the girl hadn’t grown with the same nature. 

“You always say that.”

“It’s always true.”

Sunny gave her grandmother a kiss on the cheek. “I love you, Suze.

“I love you, too, Sunny. I have to get to the kitchens. I left the ledger with the cook, and I don’t trust her. Your guests will come soon, and you have to get ready.”

“Can’t you tell them I’m sick? Diseased?” Sunny had to find a way out of today. She’d been dreading it. “I don’t want to see them.”

“I wish I could, Sunny. But you have to be ready and in the courtyard by sunset. And we’ll have to meet your new  _ husband _ .” She spat the word. “I’ll be there, by your side.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Duncan and Carmelita are closer to arrival then you may think...


	7. “The needs of my people come first.”

A hazy drizzle swirled in the air around Castle Gloom. Sunny and Sue and a few nobles- allies to house Shadow- stood on a newly built platform with a wide black canopy. The servants stood in the mud behind them. Everyone was wet, cold, and miserable.

Ink was the only one having fun, whipping around through the nobles and hissing excitedly. He always made his defensive way back to Sunny, though.

“This is lovely.” Sunny said sarcastically. “Standing in the cold rain. Enjoying the icy wind. And the mud is nice. Deep and squelchy. I sure am glad you forced me out here, Sue.”

“Blame the Solars. I didn’t do this. And besides, you’re not standing in the mud.” She replied, clutching a black ledger to her chest. Sunny was fairly certain the woman used it as a pillow because she always had it. 

“You’re right. The servants are, and the  _ guests _ are late. We should all go inside and let everyone be warmed by the fires and cancel the feast. This is pointless.”

Suze sighed. “Stop. None of us want you to marry Gabriel Solar, but it’s for the good of Gehenna. 

“Why can’t it wait?” Sunny asked, annoyed. “I’m only fourteen.”

“A lot of houses take care of betrothal at birth. House Djinn, for instance, normally does. Not this generation, though. The sultan and sultana have very different ideals than their ancestors. Besides, this is only the engagement. You won’t marry for another four years.”

“I don’t even know Gabriel!”

“You’ve seen portraits. And the minstrels speak very highly of him. He might not be  _ that _ unbearable.”

“Give a minstrel enough silver and they’ll say a frog is a prince.”

“We’ll find out soon enough.” Sue seemed tired of this. “You look weighed down.”

“I’m fine.” Sunny said firmly. She wore the crown of her mother and father and brother. Wearing black for her family.

Her heritage.

For mourning. For Mother, Father, and Klaus.

And the Mantle of Sorrows did itch. A lot.

“They’re only here for three days, Sunny. Just keep your sharp tongue under control for three days, and then they’ll be gone for the next four years. Just be polite and smile.”

“I’ll  _ try.” _ She snapped.

A host of bats flew from all crevices in the castle, into the night sky. Her mother loved seeing it, loved taking care of them. Her family had befriended each one, because of Beatrice. Other houses used birds, but Sunny didn’t understand why. Bats were beautiful and smart.  _ Just like Mama. _

“I wish they’d move on. I should be on patrol.” Baron Sable growled. He smoothed down his mustache, a sign of annoyance.

“How goes your patrol, Baron?” Sunny asked, glad to get her mind off her impending doom.

“Very badly, m’lady. There have been raids along the River Lacrimae. Burned farms and grave robbing.”

Things truly must’ve been bad if people were stealing from the dead they beloved so. “Do you know who’s doing it?”

“Bandits, mostly. There are many mercenaries rendered useless with the new peace, and they become brigands fairly quickly.” Brigands, like the ones that murdered her family. “Normally, it’s outsiders who think the gifts we have for the dead are more than furniture or cracked pottery.”

“See to it that they are punished. What of the pirate raids?”

“Strange news, m’lady. They’ve stopped. Captain Barracuda has drowned.”

“Good news at last.”

“It is quite odd, m’lady. He drowned in his bathtub at Cutlass. I understand Mistress Jaquelyn has gone to Cutlass.”

Sunny didn’t respond. She didn’t dwell on the actions and methods of her executioner. She had no qualms with them, either. 

Taking the hint, Sable changed the subject. “Still, it’ll be a harsh winter for some.” 

“Give them the grain we have in storage.” Sunny commanded, no argument necessary.

“M’lady, that grain is earmarked for Glimmer Hall. It’s coin we sorely need.”

“The needs of my people come first.” Her tone was firm.

“Of course.” He bowed. “I’ll see to it.”

_ The needs of my people. _

Her people. It didn’t feel right to call them that. They were Father’s, and should’ve been Klaus’ next. Not hers. Never hers. She could barely care for Ink, let alone a whole country. 

Couldn’t they see how scared she was? How lonely?

Everyone was too busy to see. Sue was busy with the budgets and the maids and the castle. Baron Sable had borders to guard. Olivia was recently preoccupied with debating things with the council and her guardian, so that Sunny herself had a fair and free life. And Jaquelyn was always away or with Olivia. There were so many people prepared to give her advice, to be there for her, but in the end  _ she _ was House Shadow. If they saw how lost she really felt, it’d all fall apart.

_ Which is why I must marry Gabriel Solar. _

For peace. Even if she hated him, House Shadow and House Solar were at war. Darkness against light. It had been going on so long, people thought it was the way the world normally was. Everyone had lost someone. Both of Sue’s sons had died because of it.

_ Am I betraying them by marrying him? Do they think so? _

Instead of celebration, there had been silent resignation. Better peace than conquest, but no one really wanted a marriage alliance.

Maybe it  _ was _ better. Lumina had gold to improve the land and farms and supplies. She could repair Castle Gloom. They had better access to the sea, and minstrels and merchants would travel along their roads rather than beggars and squalor. 

Everyone knew that Gehenna could never beat Lumina. In hand-to-hand, face-to-face, sword-to-sword combat, the Solars had too much of everything and the Shadows too little. 

Gehenna was a land that was cold and dry, with mountains and harsh winds that were not exactly okay for what little farmers there were. Food and good production was not a very good market, and they didn’t have very much firepower, either.

House Shadow’s strength lay in magic. Bertrand Shadow had been a powerful necromancer, as had his son Klaus. His wife was, too, though he didn’t know that. And they defended Gehenna’s borders ruthlessly. 

Now they were all dead, and their only advantage died with them.

As did a part of her.

_ If only they’d taught me magic. If only Klaus made it that day- if only he taught me before he died. _

But it was the eldest son’s duty to become the next Lord Shadow, and to be a powerful sorcerer. From the moment Sunny first opened her eyes, her fate was different. She was born a girl, and so her magic was kept secret from the world.

Women could not practice magic. It was an ancient law with a simple penalty- death by burning.

So now, the Great House Shadow, of powerful magic and influence, was reduced to a fourteen-year-old girl and a handful of servants.

Castle Gloom had once housed hundreds of thousands. It was more a walled city than a castle. Now it lay in little more than ruins, occupied by cobwebs and bats.

And Sunny loved every inch of it. Every dusty statue and tumbledown wall and teetering tower. How could she not? Her entire family had been born here. Her soul was here, her heart was here. Almost like a vampire, she felt tethered to it. She’d named each gargoyle, and visited them on their pretend birthday. She and Klaus had spent hours feeding the baby bats that hid in the corners of rooms on endless nights.

Castle Gloom was a part of her as much as her own blood, as much as Ink was. As much as her own soul was. And she’d do anything to protect it.

Even marry her enemy. 

“I wish we had more soldiers here.” The baron said. “It’d make a better impression. They’ll probably bring their entire kingdom just to show us up.”

Sunny looked to the gates, nodding. Twenty soldiers clad in black iron stood by the gates. The Black Guard, Gehenna’s finest knights. Sunny and Klaus had grown up on the tales of them. Klaus had even convinced Lord Bertrand to have a suit of armor made for him, an exact copy in all but size of the great Sir Ironside, his favorite of the fabled and eight feet tall. He could lift a warhorse on his shoulders. Klaus would always have Sunny play Lady Lamia, Sir Ironside’s true love. He needed someone to save, and his parents had a country to run. And Sunny had never minded being saved by her big brother. Sometimes she was imprisoned in an impossibly lofty tower, or held hostage in a cave under the Sea of the Lost Gods. Sometimes she was trapped in the Solars’ own wicked Prism Palace, sometimes sick and dying in the Shardlands. And Klaus had always been there. Sunny smiled at the memory. 

There were no Sir Ironsides in the Black Guard anymore. There were no Sir Blackblades, no Skull Knights, no more fabled warriors. 

And there was no more Klaus Shadow, either.

Skilled and ranked, though they still were, they were not the knights of legend. They were just old men and young men, their armor rattling as they stood uncomfortably cold in the drizzle. 

But they were not Gehenna’s only defense.

“Where are the Immortals?” She looked around. There  _ had  _ been something missing. “I thought we had a battalion of them.”

The baron shook his head. “The zombie soldiers all fell apart with your fathers’ passing. His magic was the only thing that kept them together.”

“I hear there are some ghosts at Gallowsgate. Couldn’t we get some? Just to wail a bit around the gates?”

Sable shook his head. “Many apologies, m’lady.” She waved off the apology, a flash of light catching her eye. 

Drums beat along Merchant’s Road.

“They’re coming,” Susan whispered apprehensively, squeezing her granddaughter’s hand.


	8. “First there was darkness, and darkness shall remain.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick announcement! I’m participating in a one-act play contest, so let me know if there’s anything in this fic so far that you want to see adapted and performed (with the actors’ permission) at @storytravelled on tumblr and Twitter and @poetry-mycelium-sapphires on Instagram!

Pennants waved on tall lances, shining in the fading light. The armor of a thousand knights shone like a mirror in the evening sun. Their horses seemed to be carved from ivory, with manes that had seemingly been woven from spun silver.

“The paladins.” Baron Sable whispered, more to himself than to Sunny. “The Solars’ elite cavalry.”

Then came musicians and foot soldiers carrying ridiculously heavy-seeming swords and shields. Ladies followed in white furs and silks, shivering in the brisk rain. Wagons made up the rear. Wagon after wagon pulled by massive draft horses.

“Bullshitters trying to dazzle us with their strength,” Sue muttered, annoyed. “How the fuck are we supposed to feed them all?”

No one answered her as she fretted over her black ledger. “We’ll need twice as many sheep and the farmer is going to want double for such short notice…” She groaned. “Why couldn’t they just come like normal human beings? No one cares about their fucking parade.”

“Because they’re  _ Solars _ .” Sunny responding, her voice dripping with venom towards them. 

Duke Tom Lazarus, the son of one of her father’s best friends, just sighed. They’d grown up together, too, and he didn’t want to deal with any of this. He was just tired, for the most part. “Lady Shadow, a new age is supposed to dawn with this or something. At least Gehenna will be wealthy again.”

“But it won’t be the Gehenna I know.” Sunny whispered, pressing closer to Sue.

The procession made its way down Merchant’s road, between two large hills. These were Lamentation Hill and the City of Silence. 

The City dominated the Eastern half, going all the way to the border at Spindlewood. It had never been measured, but Sunny assumed it was as big as Castle Gloom, if not larger and would continue to grow.

It was the family graveyard. Every Shadow ever had been buried there, though occasionally reluctantly.

She knew how other houses dealt with their dead. House Typhoon put them atop towers for birds as sky burials. House Coral left them in the ocean. The Sultanate cremated them.

How would one honor their dead like  _ that? _

The Gehennish built tombs. From the huge citadel that was Castle Gloom to even the smallest hamlet, there was a resting place for the dead. There was a home for them, as comfortable as their families could afford. There were tables and chairs, stone beds, portraits, and memories. And the City’s tombs were the grandest of all.

Her family lay in the newest. It hadn’t been six months since she’d left them there, food and drink and gifts sealed behind the stone doors. Their closing still echoed in her heart.

Bats flocked around Lamentation Hill, settling on the gnarled branches of the old tree like rotting fruit. She saw the five stakes in the ground, and their gruesome decorations and elected to turn her eyes away instead. 

What did it say about her kingdom that the main road was between a graveyard and a place of execution?

Susan groaned. “We may have to have some people stay in the western wing! No one ever had to use that wing! It’s not prepared!”

It would all go in that ledger. Every last item in every last crate. Every visitor and where they stayed, how much it’d cost, what servants they’d be allocated if they didn’t bring their own. As well as the ledger, Sue carried a heavy key ring that unlocked every door in the castle.

_ Except one. _

Suze ran the household now. No one objected. She’d lived there the longest, and was their only constant. 

Oversight of the castle had been Lady Beatrice Shadow’s job, and she would often ask Sunny to join her by flickering candlelight as she made long lists in the ledger. Sometimes she would snuggle up against her mother, and they’d talk a little while Beatrice recorded a recap of the day’s expenses. When she was very young, her mother would show her magic when no one was looking. She barely remembered it. Most of the time she’d say no, as it seemed too boring. 

All that time she could’ve spent with her mother, lost forever. 

The paladins rode in, their horses’ hooves drumming the drawbridge. Each was tall and handsome, as though sprung from the fantasy of a royal locked in a tower. 

Sunny looked over at her Black Guard. They wore hand-me-down armor and their tabards were more brown than black and faded with age. There wasn’t a straight spear among the whole group. She sighed. 

But though the servants swooned over the paladins, Ink was  _ not _ amused. He hissed harshly, fangs bared as he slithered almost frantically around the little podium. 

“Ink!” Sue called calmly. “Come here. You’ll get trampled if you aren’t careful.”

At her words, the snake stopped and looked up at the woman and then curled onto Sunny’s arm. “Don’t be naughty, Inky.” She whispered. 

“You should give him to a servant. He’s all muddy!” Susan told her.

Sunny her snake closer. 

She laughed good-naturedly and jokingly rolled her eyes. 

The next rider was a young boy, with dark hair that hung in his eyes. He wore a red cloak of phoenixes and fire spirits, and he was dripping with amber. He looked like blood on snow among the Solars. And he was shivering violently.

_ What had they done to him? _

“Why is he shivering?” Sunny asked Sue quietly. “Do you think they hurt him?”

Suze shook her head. “He’s cold.”

“Cold? It’s nearly summer!”

“That’s Duncan Djinn. He’s the second son of the Sultan and the third child. He’s used to the desert.”

“He’s from the Sultanate of Fire?” Of course. He wore red. But she was intrigued. “What’s he doing here?” The Sultanate was a thousand miles southbound. 

“He’s a hostage.” The Baron responded. “The Solars captured him a few months ago. The Duke is keeping him hostage until the ransom has been paid for safe return.”

“No wonder he looks so miserable.” Sue had murder written all over her face. 

“Put him in the Eclipse bedchambers.” Sunny decided. Those were the best rooms they had. Though he was a prisoner, she wanted him to be comfortable. She felt sorry for him. That, and that she also would be one soon. 

“I’ll prepare them myself,” Sue responded, evidently in agreement.

“The Duke.” Baron Sable breathed. 

Duke Raphael Solar’s armor didn’t shine. It glowed. The breastplate was studded with diamonds around a silver heart, fanning out. Sweeping white feathers adorned the top of his helmet, and a cloak of seemingly molten silver tumbled down behind him like a metal waterfall.

His skin was colorless, his eyes silvery mirrors. His mouth was wide, closed and humorless. He was over seventy years old, he seemed as arrogant and sure as a young man. 

Susan looked around. “Where’s the herald? Give him the signal.”

Sunny nodded to the old man at the end of the podium. 

He cleared his throat and bowed deeply. “Lords and ladies, may I present Lady Sunshade Lilith Hecate Shadow, scion of the great House of Darkness, Mistress of Castle Gloom, ruler of Gehenna, guardian of the boundary between the lands of the living and the dead. Daughter to Lord Bertrand Shadow. Granddaughter to Lady S. Theodora Shadow, known as the Twilight Walker. Child of the first and oldest of all the great Six Houses…”

“I remember the title being shorter.” Duke Tom mused. 

“It is important to remind our guests of who we are.” Sue responded with a challenge. 

Sunny smiled at her adoptive grandmother, remembering the family motto.  _ First there was darkness, and darkness shall remain. _

“M’lady Shadow bids you rest and comfort. May your dreams be fulfilled and your nightmares soothed.” The herald finished. 

The courtyard fell silent as Duke Solar dismounted, followed by a boy in shimmering white and a red-haired girl in the lightest shade of pink she’d ever seen.

Sunny watched, her stance defensive and brave. Just as her parents had always been. 

The Solars marched up to the podium, his children bowing deeply as Duke Solar bowed his head respectfully, growing uncomfortably close to the young Shadow. “M’lady Shadow.”

Sunny took a small step back, blinking. The duke of light was literally blinding. She hated him already.

“Dear Duke, welcome to Castle Gloom. Consider our home…” The mandatory greeting stuck in her throat, and Ink glared in a very terrifying fashion at the duke. “Yours.”

He took another step closer to her, ignoring her defensive step back just a second earlier. “I was sorry to hear about your misfortune.” He sounded as though she’d broken a doll rather than lost her family. “Despite our history, I respected your father very much. Lord Bertrand Shadow was immensely powerful and a great man. I hope, one day, you will look to me as your own father.”

Sunny merely smiled, not trusting her words to not betray her.  _ Yes, of course, when pigs fly. _

The duke turned to the people behind him. “May I introduce my daughter, Duchess Carmelita Kitana Coraa Solar?”

Duchess Carmelita curtseyed respectfully. “It is an honor to meet you, m’lady.” Her ginger hair curled down her shoulders, with pink fire opals braided into it the same manner Beatrice Shadow used to wear it. Her eyes were a blue-green and her lips rosebud pink. All of her jewelry was made of pink fire opal. Her dress was not silk, but rather a white-pink chiffon over velvet. It had long, wide sleeves as though the girl had dressed for the cooler climates of the north. Clever, in her own way. She sounded almost like she’d been crying, her voice soft and a little broken. 

Sunny responded in the same manner, her voice comforting and truly welcoming. She wanted to befriend this girl. She evidently couldn’t afford to be alone right then. They could grieve together, help each other. “And the same for you, Duchess.”

The duke interrupted them. “And may I present my son and heir, Gabriel?”

Her new fiancé bowed. 

Some servants giggled, but Sue’s piercing glare shut them up quickly. 

The minstrels were right.

_ He is handsome. Alright, beautiful, even. _

His white-gold hair was held in place by a silver circlet, his armor studded with diamonds. He wore a longsword as well, but the entire outfit was obviously purely theatrical. He reached for Sunny’s free hand, but Ink hissed, leaping forward. 

Gabriel backed away. “What a vile beast. I do hope he isn’t rabid.” Sunny almost rolled her eyes. Snakes couldn’t carry rabies! The Solar boy seemed to regain his composure, though his sister looked as though she was a bit happier. Excited to tease him about the factual error he’d made, perhaps. “Lady Shadow, I am honored to meet you. I look forward to being your lord and master.” He coughed discreetly into a handkerchief of white silk. “I mean, your loyal and  _ loving _ husband.”

Sunny bowed her head respectfully, the poison darts in her necklace that Olivia had put  _ only for emergencies _ seeming awfully enticing.


	9. “Would it be so bad if she just stabbed him in the neck?”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aka the one where sunny completely ignores the hierarchy of the court because this chapter was fun af (most of it, anyhow. You’ll find out)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok seriously everyone, send suggestions because the deadline is February 13 please even comment scenes you want to see if you have some

Sunny stood outside the banquet hall, her hair curled medusoid behind her by Sue. Her long, glimmering black gown and the Mantle of Sorrows fell gracefully at her feet. She wore her mother’s black diamonds in her hair. It turns out, Beatrice was right. She had known how to braid them herself. 

There were black pearls around her neck, and onyx adorning the neckline and hem of the gown and hung from her earrings. Her black lace gloves covered her hands underneath a ring of serendibite. Half hidden in her hair was a pin made from dark iolite that had also belonged to her mother. It had apparently been a gift from her father, given to him by House Coral. And at her shoulder was a pin of hematite. It had belonged to Klaus. And so she wore ancestry in the banquet that marked the end of the Shadows. A terrifying prospect, truly. 

Tears almost welled in her eyes, and she forced them back. What little eye makeup she’d permitted Sue to do would run, ruining the smokey effect that she’d allowed. Just then, a figure came to stand beside her.

Count Olaf.

He had been appointed as her guardian after her family’s death by Arthur Poe, who’d been her father’s advisor. She’d dismissed the man shortly after, seeing how incompetent he really was. She mainly was advised by Mary, Olaf, and Jaquelyn now.  _ Better them than some stuck-up noble shoving his ideals through my head, _ she decided.

“Sunny!” The man smiled, stroking her cheek. “You look absolutely dazzling, my girl.” She could smell the alcohol on his breath.

Pulling away before she passed out due to the fumes, she forced a smile. “Thank you, Uncle.” She found him quite extravagant and simpleminded. He’d attempted to spend Gehenna’s money on magical items as soon as he gained power, and Sunny had barely been able to stop him. Still, he’d managed something and the library was full of boxes of fake enchantments and the treasury was close to empty.

“Married to a Solar boy? I’m so proud!” He held her chin up to his shiny, cold eyes and smiled. “Maybe in a few years, you can show me what he’s taught you!” He winked.

She jerked back. “ _ Taught me? _ Really, Uncle. I thought you knew me better!” A fake, teasing smile remained on her face. She knew what he was thinking of, though, and her stomach lurched. 

“You’re right!” He laughed, his wine-stained finery rippling and moving with him. “Maybe what you’ve taught him then!”

_ As if! _ She wanted to respond, but the doors to the banquet hall opened suddenly.

Olaf offered his arm, and Sunny had no choice but to take it, ignoring the discomfort brewing inside of her.

A few moments later, she was seated in a Great Hall that echoed with laughter, music, voices of the people, and the barking of pet dogs, meowling of cats, and the hissing of the snake resting on Lady Sunny Shadow’s shoulders, now not muddy. The white of the Solars mingled with the black of the Shadows, creating a checkerboard effect. The feast was in full flow. All were enjoying themselves.

Except for Sunny, who felt that she was at her own funeral. Oh, what she wouldn’t give to have the Solar men killed. Obviously covertly. 

She sat at the high table with her guardian on her left and betrothed on the right. Her suitor seemed to never leave anywhere without his bejeweled sword, though he no longer wore his theatrical armor. Just like its owner, the blade was useless. Handsome, but useless.

“Imagine my relief when I first saw you!” said Gabriel, smiling strangely at her. Carmelita shot Sunny an apologetic look, one that said  _ ignore his bullshit at all costs _ . At least, that’s what she thought it said. “No one would call you truly beautiful. Your eyes are too large and your nose- a lady should have a small nose, like my sister here.” The sister in question glared at him. “It’s not like you’re any better. You can’t even use your weapon!”

Gabriel harrumphed. “I can, too! You don’t even have one.”

Carmelita unsheathed her own blade, one made of the same fire opal that adorned everything else. It had been hidden up her sleeve all day. “Are you sure about that? At least I can  _ operate _ it. You want an instruction manual?”

“That’s not allowed!”

“Lily let me have it.” The girl whispered. “Lily taught me that I’m never safe. Lily gave it to me.”

“Lily was a witch and a liar! She was a criminal!” Gabriel practically yelled.

“ _ Lily is my sister! _ ” Carmelita growled back. “ _ Never speak of her as such!”  _ She waved her dagger threateningly, a sudden white spark showing for a moment before Gabriel gasped. Sunny wasn’t sure what the Duchess had done.

He glared at her, reluctantly relenting.

Sunny was just stunned at the pure arrogance of Gabriel and the fury of Carmelita.  _ She lost someone, too. _ She’d heard the tale of Lily Solar, a legend in her eyes.

But now Gabriel had turned his attention back to Castle Gloom. “This will all have to change when I rule Gehenna. Windows, the castle shall have windows. Everywhere. And mirrors. Plenty of mirrors.”

“M’lord…” Sunny began cautiously. “Windows and mirrors have never been placed in Castle Gloom because Lord Shadow cursed it. Both of our kingdoms will perish instantly!” Sunny was lying through her sharp teeth, and she knew it wasn’t exactly an outlandish tale.

“And you  _ believe _ some old legend?” He scoffed.

“Well, isn’t that why women aren’t allowed to practice magic?” Sunny asked innocently. “The Princes cursed it, remember? Surely you know how the Poisoned Sea formed.”

Carmelita had caught on by now, and nodded frantically. “Oh! I’ve heard of this curse! The Prince Shadow said that anyone who tore even the smallest brick of Castle Gloom to let in the light would-” She paused for dramatic effect, and the hall seemed eerier a moment. “Burn to ash, as a vampire in the sun would. Everyone they’d ever loved would die with them, and the people those people loved as well. The cycle would go on and on until the window is gone and the exact brick replaced.”

“That’s kind of harsh…” Gabriel whimpered as the eerieness faded.

“It was to protect the vampires of the family.” Sunny explained, subtly baring her sword-like canines.

“Are- are you a vampire?” Gabriel was shaking violently now.

“Who’s to say if I am? I don’t know.” She bit her lip just barely enough to make it bleed, so it looked like there was blood on the tooth. 

Ignoring this, the boy tried to regain his composure. He looked Sunny up and down with a dramatic sigh. “I’ve seen better dressed peasants. I’ll have dresses sent from Lumina- you can’t be looking like some farmer’s wife. Not on my wedding. They’ll obviously be white.”

Sunny’s face darkened. “I am House Shadow. Our color is black, as you well know.”

Gabriel answered smiling slyly, nothing like the coward he’d just been. “But you won’t  _ be _ a Shadow once we’re married, will you?”

Sunny gripped her fork so tightly her knuckles turned white. Would it be so bad if she stabbed him in the neck? “Actually, I do believe I will be. I do not plan on changing my name, m’lord. It was never on the list of demands on the alliance, either.”

“Keep your last name?” He was aghast, as though she’d committed some heinous crime.”That’s unheard of! I won’t have it!”

“You don’t have to.” Carmelita snickered. “It’s not  _ your _ name she’s changing, Gabriel. If anything, it’s your fault for choosing a Shadow bride. No offense to you, m’lady, of course.”

“No!” He seemed to be having a tantrum. “I demand you change your name when we marry!”

“Gabriel.” Sunny’s tone was steely and icy, though calm. And terrifying in its own way. Her teeth didn’t exactly help. “You cannot demand this of me. As I am Lady Shadow and you are a mere  _ heir _ , you have no power over me. Neither does your father, as we are equals. Your sister will advocate on my behalf if necessary.” She turned to Carmelita with the question in her eyes.  _ Will you? _

Carmelita nodded.

“I will wear black on the wedding day, and I will forever remain a Shadow. You will be a consort in Gehenna, and I in Lumina.  _ Do you understand? _ ” The room seemed a little colder around them, a little scarier. A feeling that can only be described as darkness struck Gabriel Solar, causing him to only be able to nod and tremble.

“And if you go blabbing about this to anyone,  _ I will do so much worse than you’ve ever imagined.”  _ his sister added as a precaution.

Gabriel nodded again.

Sunny and Carmelita rejoined the feast as though nothing had happened, and Gabriel was just making a fool of himself.

No one seemed surprised. 

Gabriel, desperate to get away from the girls, made his way over to the group of squires he’d brought along. They laughed like schoolboys at recess!

Sunny turned to Carmelita and Olaf. “No offense to you, m’lady, but I can’t marry Gabriel Solar.

Carmelita nodded. “Of course. I understand. If you don’t mind me saying so, m’lady, I don’t think I’d want you to marry him.”

Olaf, on the other hand, blanched and almost spilled his wine. “Why not?”

“I hate him. In fact, I really don’t think I’ve ever hated anyone as much as I loathe him.”

“You’ve only just met him, Vi. Give him time.”

“Uncle? I’m Sunny, not Vi.” She wasn’t sure who Vi was, but she knew him knowing such a person was probably not good. For said person. 

“Yes, I know. But Gabriel is just tired after a long journey.” His smile seemed desperate. “Be patient. Tonight is just the engagement. The actual wedding won’t happen until you’re eighteen, and I’m sure he’ll be sensible by then.”

“Cancel the engagement.” Sunny was steadfast in her demands.

“And then what?” Olaf’s face darkened.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Grow up, Sunshade.” He shook his head. “I care about you as though you’re my daughter, but you need to face reality. We’re weak. If you don’t go through with it, we’ll be beat by next week. The turrets of Castle Gloom will have while flags, not black. You’ll lose Gehenna.”

“Why can’t we just sign a peace treaty like civilized human beings?”

“We have. It’s called a marriage contract.” He drained his glass of wine. “This is what your parents wanted, remember? They arranged this before their death.”

The Black Ford Truce. She should’ve been there when it happened, but her parents had asked her to look after Castle Gloom while they were gone. If she’d been present, she wouldn’t be here now. “The marriage was meant to be between Klaus and Dathan Solar.”

Olaf nodded. “A beauty and tender heart. They would’ve been a wonderful match, if it had been fated to be.”

“It wasn’t fate that killed Klaus.” Her voice shook.

“The dead are dead, no matter how much we want it otherwise. It’s time we looked into the future, September.”

“Sunny. And  _ that’s _ my choice? Mariage or war?”

“The needs of your people come first, Soli-”

“Sunny”

“How can you subject Gehenna to more war and eventual doom just because of what you do or don’t want? A ruler cannot be that selfish.”

How far into the past had it gone? The legend was one of the first things everyone learned, at least in Gehenna. Prince Shadow and Prince Solar were twins and should’ve been the closest of the Six. But one worshipped the dark while the other did the light, and that itself led to countless wars since then.

The people of Lumina thought the Gehennish were evil for their honoring of the dead and their raising from the grave. Sunny knew, though, what it really meant to them. It meant they were still wanted, still valued. It meant they were still important.

The Gehennish saw the Lumineans as warmongers and land-grabbers who were the living embodiment of  _ my-way-or-the-highway _ , except more so  _ my-way-or-ill-kill-you-and-everyone-you-love. _ How many other lands had been destroyed by Solar armies, their everything entirely wiped out?

There was no point arguing with them. They couldn’t understand why everyone else didn’t want to be “perfect”. Or so Sunny thought.

“I could defend Gehenna if I’d been allowed to study magic!” Sunny argued.

Olaf groaned. “Come on, Sensible! We do this every. Single. Time. Women can’t practice magic. You’ll have better luck watching the sun rise in the west.”

“It’s Sunny. And there has to be a way!” She was growing quite irritated with him, but she also knew what he’d say next. It happened every time and her response, for some reason, never changed.

“Don’t you think I’ve tried?” Olaf had been born into a noble family, sorcerers from ages past. Not very powerful, but sorcerers nonetheless. “If there was another way to become a necromancer, don’t you think I would’ve found it?” He’d been treated like an outcast, unable to ever do magic at all. His siblings had inherited the title, and he had been disowned. When the time came for nobles to challenge for honor and a higher position using what magic was left in the family, he’d been humiliated. All he’d ever wanted was to be someone memorable. Sunny could see the hurt in his shiny eyes. It might as well have been there until his dying breath. 

“I’m sorry, Uncle. Just let me marry someone else. Anyone else.”

“There is no one else.”

“Yes there is! Klaus was about to marry Dathan Solar, I could marry him! Or Carmelita-purely platonically and for the alliance in both alternatives- if I have to! He has more siblings, I’m sure.”

“The duke is against homosexuality, and Dathan is heartbroken. He had loved Klaus. They’d been in correspondence before.”

“I have two other brothers.” Carmelita piped up.

“He demanded you marry the heir.” He ignored her.

Sunny’s corset seemed too tight. She pulled at the bone frame and cloth entrapping her, trying to take deep breaths and clear out the dread that filled her.

“Hey Duncan!” Gabriel shouted from somewhere across the room, still surrounded by cronies. He waved a sausage in the air. “Close your eyes and open your mouth!” The boys around him laughed, one yelling “ _ Yeet!” _ when the heir threw the sausage at Duncan’s face. It smacked his cheek.

“Did you see that? Gimme something else!” He picked up a grape from a dish of appetizers left out, and threw it at him.

Duncan looked the boy in the eye as he caught it in his teeth. “Yeet indeed.” He turned around, and Sunny could see him fighting off tears.

Gabriel picked up a carrot. “Don’t forget your vegetables!”

Sunny gritted her teeth and stood up. She wasn’t going to let Gabriel get away with this. 

Carmelita subtly flicked her fingers, and Gabriel missed. He kept trying, though, and some of his crew did manage to land hits. “Sit down, Susie.”

She ignored him and pulled herself free. “Stop it.” She hissed. 

They ignored her.

“Stop it.”

The boy rolled a lump of bread in gravy. 

Carmelita was about to get up and stop him, but her father grabbed her and pulled her aside. No one would ever know why.

“ _ Stop it!” _ Sunny slammed her fist down and the entire castle reacted, echoing it like a thunderclap through the hall. Everyone stopped. All eyes were on her.

She smiled a wicked, triumphant smile. She may not have magic, but she had Castle Gloom. It would always respond to her touch.

Gabriel eyed her warily. “What did you say?” His voice was filled with an odd type of quiet menace.

_ This is how wars start. _

“The servants need to clear the table.” She responded in the same manner he had. She knew he wouldn’t like it. “It’s time for dessert.”

Sue clapped and the servants leapt into action. 

“Music!” Duke Solar commanded, and the orchestra started up again after a moment of hesitation. Murmurs returned, and the guests continued talking. About her. She heard the words “vile”, “rude”, “chaotic”, and most of all, “threatening” thrown about the room.

_ That’s right. I should be considered a threat to you. _

“Wow, Lilac!” Olaf said, clearly higher than a kite at this point. “That could’ve gone badly!”

Sunny rolled her eyes. “Lilac isn’t even close!” 

“Of course, Allison.”

“Where did that even come from?”

He didn’t respond.

“If your brother’s like that now, I hate to see what he’d become in four years.” Sunny and Carm decided to drop the formalities.

“Yeah. Nice save, though. You’ll probably be offered a bit of respect, now.”

“Thanks.”

Raphael Solar came to sit next to them, and Sunny immediately tensed. “You look unwell, m’lady. Are you alright?”

Sunny nodded. “I’m just a little…” She turned to Carmelita for backup.

“Excited?” Carmelita offered.

“Yes! That. And tired. I understand how taxing it is to rule a country. Yours must be harder, being so much bigger, m’lord. Such talent the Solars bring about.” She really hated talking like this.

A servant approached with five crystal goblets, one each for the royals. Duke Solar raised his. “Consider it an early wedding gift. I hope to celebrate many toasts with you for years to come. Of anniversaries. Of children.”

Sunny tried not to vomit, scooting a bit closer to Carmelita as Duke Solar moved closer.

“To peace,” he said.

“To peace.” Sunny agreed, raising the goblet to her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All! Suggestions! Accepted!   
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed today’s chapter!


	10. “I’ll be Gabriel’s wife. That’s different, I think.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve decided that we’re having a biweekly posting schedule! I will post Mondays and Thursdays starting next week. If there are any complications, I’ll let you know on Monday. Enjoy the chapter!

“Wait!” Olaf was still under the influence of drink, and his voice was slurred. “They’re playin’ the dance…”

“What dance, Uncle?” Sunny asked, trying to be gentle.

“Listen.”

The chatter had dropped as the orchestra played. The lute played a low, haunting melody, the drums falling to the soft and steady beat of a sleeping heart.

She put her goblet down without taking a sip. She knew this song better than the sound of her own breathing. 

It was House Shadow’s dance. The legend was that the first Lord Shadow, by the name of Orpheus, had danced it with his wife- a certain princess Eurydice, rescued from the land of the dead. It was about immortal love, and Sunny’s parents had danced to it at their wedding.

_ Oh no. They expect me to dance with Gabriel. _

She looked down the table. He was smoothing back his hair, looking arrogant as ever.

“Go dance with him. Show him there’s no bad feeling between you, Sadie.” Olaf suggested, ignoring that everyone was surprised he managed to speak that much.

Sunny rubbed her knee. “It’s  _ Sunny _ , Uncle. And my leg really hurts… it might’ve been from standing so abruptly. It feels like it’ll fall off if I stand up!” She made an innocent damsel-in-distress face.

Sue poked her from behind. “Just do it now and get it over with. Then you’re done.”

Gabriel waited. Everyone waited.

Susan poked her harder. “Get up. Right now.”

Ink, determined to cause a distraction, grabbed a lamb chop off her plate and shook it in his fangs.

“I have to take care of Inky!” She picked up her snake. “Naughty boy.”

Sue leaned closer so that she was whispering in Sunny’s ear. “I don’t like this anymore than you do, but it’s only for tonight. If you don’t dance, I will drag you to the dance floor by your ear. And don’t think I won’t.”

She wasn’t lying. Sunny had once seen her tell of her father for not eating his greens in front of a room full of ambassadors. Someone had laughed until Sue looked at them and they fell silent. Her stare could silence an emperor.

“All right.” Sunny sighed. “Look. I’m getting up.” She pushed her chair back a few inches. “See?”

“Leave the snake.” Sue demanded.

“Fine.” She gave Ink a little kiss on the head and set him on the table. Carmelita was pretty annoyed. “She doesn’t really need to dance with him, or anyone for that matter.” Sunny smiled gratefully at her, but the adults ignored her as adults oft do.

When she reached him, Gabriel smiled. “You look worried. Don’t be. I was taught by the best dance tutors in Lumina. They think I’m brilliant. I even invented a few special moves by myself. Perhaps I’ll teach you.”

Sunny glanced back, where Sue and Olaf were urging her on. Sue hated Olaf, but they had to deal with this. They had to agree, just this once. 

He took her hand. “Just do as I say, and you’ll be fine.”

She inhaled sharply, pulling away. “I’m afraid I can’t dance with you. I’ve already promised Duncan.”

Olaf leapt in then. He cleared his throat, laughing awkwardly. “Just a moment, m’lord.” He pulled her aside. “What do you think you’re doing? Solar will take this as a huge insult.”

“Good.” Sunny ripped free, pulling Duncan up from his spot. “Come on.”

“What? Come where?” Duncan was very, very confused.

To dance, Prince Djinn. What did you think I was talking about?”

“To this?”

“Obviously.” Sunny responded. “It’s perfect.”

“For a funeral.” Duncan retorted.

“Just get up.” Sunny ordered, and so he did.

They hurried toward the dance floor before they could be stopped. 

They heard gasps, but never looked back. The music faltered, the conductor looking uncertainly towards her seat. 

“You. With the baton.” Sunny ordered.

“Me, m’lady?”

“Start again. From the beginning.”

The two stood alone but for each other in the center of the Great Hall. Everything was silent.

“Well?” She glared at the conductor, who winced and turned to face his musicians. A few smiled at the trouble she was causing, though they weren’t surprised.

“I don’t know how to dance.” Admitted Duncan.

“Of course not. You’re a boy.” Sunny responded. “Just follow me and don’t step on our toes or bump into anything.”

The music began.

They danced. Or at least, they tried to. 

“M’lady, you’re quite close with the Lady Shadow, correct?” Olaf asked Carmelita, who nodded. She didn’t notice his eyes flick over her dress. “Please fix this! She can’t do this! I won’t have it!”

“Of course, sir.” Carm responded carefully, heading over.

“Alright, cakesniffers.” She declared, eliciting a laugh from Sunny. “I can dance better than both of you, and we can’t lose the desserts because of your dumbassery.” She joined their dance, sweeping them away from the desert table they were about to knock over. It wasn’t so much dancing as it was her dragging her partners across the floor and trying to make sure they didn’t trip up. 

“Is this right? Isn’t a man supposed to lead?” Duncan asked after a moment.

“No.” Sunny wrinkled her nose. “Obviously not.”

So they danced, Duncan in sweeping robes of fire, Sunny in a glistening night sky, and Carm in a gown of clouds at sunrise. 

“Why do you have a spiderweb in your hair?” He asked, as something that was very obviously not an adornment was stuck to her long, dark locks. She pulled it off with her free hand. “I don’t know.” She glared at Carm. “Why didn’t anyone tell me it was there?”

“Don’t look at  _ me. I _ didn’t see it.”

It was oddly shimmery, but Sunny paid it no mind, and so her friends brushed it off.

“Your rings are  _ annoying _ , Duncan. Take them off.” They had been tearing into Carmelita’s fingers, as they were visibly turning red. 

“Sorry.” He whispered, looking more remorseful than necessary for such a trivial offense. Sunny stared at the many rings on every finger, wise enough to not ask. “Why are you wearing so many, anyway?” Her tone was a bit gentler than her friend’s.

“Her father wants everyone to see how rich a prize I am.” He replied bitterly. He seemed to be dripping in garnet and amber, fire opal and rhodochrosite. Even his buttons were of red stone.

“Why aren’t you wearing rubies, then? Isn’t that House Djinn’s favorite gemstone?” She squeezed his hand, sorry that Duke Solar was doing this to him. 

“I’m the third child, so I wear garnet. At least that’s better than my brother Malcolm. He has to wear jasper.” He shrugged.

“What’s it like living in the Prism Palace?” She asked them both.

“My home is a nice enough place, just super bright and never empty.” Carm replied. “But it’s super boring, especially without…” She trailed off, the grief hanging over her again.

Sunny hugged her friend. “I know what you mean.”

Duncan nodded respectfully. “And the duke is a tyrant. Gabriel is a cruel, petty idiot.” Carmelita nodded in agreement.

“It- it can’t be that bad, right?” She was worried. Raphael Solar had definitely done something to Duncan, and she hated to think of what would happen to her, too. She ignored the vague thought that there might be someone here who would do that to her, too. “You’re only saying that because you’re their prisoner, right?”

“Yeah. But you’ll be, too, won’t you?”

She faltered. “I’ll be Gabriel’s wife. That’s different, I think.”  _ I hope _ .

“Well, you’ll get to hang out with my siblings and I! That might make it a little better, won’t it?” Carmelita tried.

“I don’t want to marry him.” Sunny whispered.

“I think I speak for both of us-” Duncan looked at Carmelita, his voice soft. She nodded. “-When I say neither of us want you marrying him.”

“Why you? Carm I understand, but why  _ you _ ?”

“Think about it. Solar’s kingdom is in the middle, with Gehenna to the north and the Sultanate to the south.”

Sunny understood. The duke wanted peace with House Shadow, but as soon as he knew that border was safe…

“He’ll declare war on you.”

“Last summer’s attack was just the beginning.” He said, with a voice dripping with venom that was evidently not his most favored.

“What happened?”

“I was leading a caravan and we stopped at an oasis. His paladins ambushed me, claiming they mistook us for smugglers. He says I’m his guest, but everyone knows I’m his hostage.”

“And the Sultan didn’t retaliate”

“Father’ll take off his head if the Sultanate tries to do anything. He’s been raiding them for weeks, and gathering troops for a war against them.” Carm chimed in sadly.

“I’m sorry.” Sunny gulped.

“He wants our wealth and land, Lady Shadow. Your Houses joining would be disastrous for mine.”

Carmelita snorted. “What do you want her to do, then? Marry you?”

Duncan’s heel accidentally came down on her toe. “What? Why would I? No offense, m’lady.”

“Ow! None taken, though.” 

“Sorry. Should we start again?” He looked down at his feet, unsure what to do with them.

Carmelita shook her head. “It’ll be fine. Just do what I do.”

Sunny caught sight of Gabriel, who stood watching with hands curled into fists and face blotchy with rage. “He’s going to take this insult out on you.” She said. “I’m so sorry I dragged you out here. It was impulsive and stupid.”

“No it wasn’t!” Carm objected. “And he wouldn’t dare. Not while I can threaten him.”

Duncan agreed. “Besides, it was worth it. Won’t you get in trouble, though?”

“I’m ruler of Gehenna. I can do what I want to anyone who objects.”

“It looks like Inky’s causing trouble, too.” Carm laughed.

The snake in question was speeding across the high table, snapping at plates and knocking over cups. Duke Solar had red wine splashed all over his oh-so-pristine white silk tunic, and Sunny laughed. That stain would never come out.

For this moment, she was happy. Her friends laughed with her as Ink sprang away from Sue to knock over Sunny’s new crystal goblet. He, for some reason, decided to drink the liquid. None of the witnesses really understood what possessed him to do so, but I theorized that he was trying to protect his human having sensed what happened to it.

Other dancers drifted onto the floor. The  _ Danse Macabre _ continued, tempo rising so feet moved more and more swiftly, and gowns of black, white, silk, satin, linen, and radiant with jewelry created a whirling world of beauty. Sunny was dizzy, clinging to her friends’ arms as they twirled faster and faster.

“Stop! I’m going to be sick!” She laughed.

Sue screamed.

Everyone froze in midstep and Sunny craned her neck to see what the problem was.

Ink was wiggling on the table, tongue hanging out of loose jaws. Green froth bubbled in his mouth.

Sunny ran to him, pushing others aside. When she reached the high table, Susan looked at her helplessly and sadly and handed him over. She cradled the snake, which was kind of a difficult feat.

His eyes were wide and unblinking, and his face was covered in green gunk. He hissed feebly.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, worried. “What is it, Inky? What’s the matter?”

She gazed into the snake’s eyes, who stared back confused. He wanted her to make him better, like she always did. His trust in her was total. He was her snake, and she his human, and they looked after each other. He snuggled against her the best way a snake could.

He coughed, and went limp.

“Come on, Inky.”

The snake was unmoving.

She held Ink close, praying for a heartbeat or a breath. “Ink? Inky! Come on, Inky.”

But there was nothing. The duke tried to touch the snake’s mouth, and she swatted him away. But she did let Carmelita do it. She rubbed the emerald froth between her fingers, sniffing and scowling as she wiped her hand clean on her brother’s tunic. 

“It’s poison.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly have no clue what a poisoned snake does okay IM SORRY


	11. “There weren’t any assassins here before the Solars arrived,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. So I didn’t finish writing the amount of chapters I wanted but that’s unfortunate because I’m doing the biweekly posting schedule anyway! Enjoy the chapter, everyone, and I’ll see you again on Thursday for the next chapter

“Life-bane.” Solar reiterated, it having been identified by his daughter. “A rare poison. Expensive, and very effective. That slimy serpent saved your life, Lady Shadow.”

“He was not slimy, and he was a viper, not a serpent.” Sunny’s voice was emptier than the Great Hall was now. Olivia stood beside her, having returned from her journey and holding her hand tightly to comfort her.

_ Ink is dead. _

She felt like yet another part of her had gone missing. If she tried hard enough, she could hear his hissing. When she closed her eyes, she could see him slithering up her bedposts and jokingly nipping her chin. He would never do that again, and that was what she found the most painful. That things could change so suddenly and so completely. Again. 

_ He was mine, and someone took him from me. _

The feast had ended in uproar, everyone frightened of poisoned food. The Solars had practically run out of the Hall, the paladins glaring as though they were ready for a fight. Her own soldiers had been ready to fight a Solar plot, too. It was a miracle no one had been killed.

Almost no one.

The lights had been put out across the Great Hall, leaving only the few lit candelabras across the high table. The shadows now owned the vast, empty place. She stared into the candlelight, lost.

All Olivia could do was keep close, letting her know that she was there for her. 

“An assassin,” said Jaquelyn, “here in Castle Gloom.”

Jaquelyn. As usual, she’d shown up when things were at their worst. Her boots left muddy prints on the floor, and her weeks on the road were evident.

“There weren’t any assassins here  _ before _ the Solars arrived,” Sunny began, staring at the duke with all the hatred she’d hidden until now. “You want Gehenna and will get it any way you can.”

“Sunny.” Olivia gently called to her, holding her back. “Don’t jump to conclusions, little one.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “No one will believe you if you don’t have proper evidence. We have to investigate more, or this is useless.”

Sunny shook her head. “I don’t care.” And she turned back to the duke. “You can’t have it. It’s my home, and you’ll never, ever have any of it. Not a beam, not a brick. Not. A. Blade. Of. Grass.” She hissed at him through gritted teeth, sharp as they’d been when she was a toddler.

Olaf stepped between them. “Sunny, dear, you’re upset-”

“ _ You _ don’t get a say in this!” She growled.

“Leave this to the grown-ups, Sunshade.”

But she wasn’t finished. Not by a long shot. Someone at the high table had been sly and cruel enough, vindictive enough, to poison her drink. “What about Gabriel?”

“What did you say?” Solar asked, his voice dangerous and soft.

Olaf butted in. “What she means is that she hopes he’s all right. He did faint, did he not?”

“No! That’s the exact-” Sunny was cut off by Olivia pulling her back into her chair. “We have to expose his plan. Solar would never want to feel that about his son. He’ll lie and lie if it is true so his heir gets away unscathed. You need concrete evidence to dispute his claims.”

Right after Solar announced the poison, Gabriel had screamed and collapsed into one of the maids. His squires had carried him out.

Not exactly the action of an assassin, to faint at the mere mention of poison. But she decided to speak her thoughts to Olivia anyway. “What if his entire self is a clever disguise, though? What if he’s actually  _ not _ as puny, arrogant, and cowardly as he seems?”

“Then we have to prove it.” Olivia’s tone was final.

Duke Solar hummed. He stood in front of Sunny, and attempted to stroke her cheek. “Well, you see-” 

Olivia swatted him away as Jaquelyn jumped forward for a second. “ _ Don’t. Touch. The Lady Shadow.”  _ She hissed.

He harshly pulled back as though she’d burned him. He grabbed the woman’s wrist, growling. “I should have your hand cut off for this! Or maybe your pretty head-” His threat was cut off as Sunny leapt between them and Jaquelyn pulled Olivia back, shielding her. 

The girl’s tone was oddly soft.  _ Dangerously  _ soft. “The maiden Olivia is my servant. She, like all the others, are under  _ my _ protection. You cannot hurt her, and I will see to that even when your son rules Gehenna. My executioner here has been  _ begging _ for a good assignment, you know.”

“If you touch either of them ever again,” Jacky began, still holding her wife. “I will not hesitate to end your life and make it an untraceable accident.”

Olivia turned to her lover. “Jacky, please.” She whispered. “You’ll make things worse for Sunny if you keep threatening him.”

“Not if he’s dead already. Then he can’t do anything. That ridiculous Count, too.” Jaquelyn responded, which Olivia had no response to.

“As I was  _ saying _ ,” Solar poured himself some wine, but did not drink it. “M’lady, you’re wrong. I promise you it was none of my people. I don’t want Gehenna.  _ I already have it. _ I had it the moment you agreed to marry my son.”

“No,” Sunny whispered. Then more forcefully, she spoke. “No. This is  _ my _ home, not yours. Distance yourself from it,  _ Solar. _ ”

“I need you  _ alive _ .” He ignored her. “If you die, there will be no wedding. Your family line will end-”

“Which it’ll already be doing.” She interrupted.

“Gehenna will go to war with Lumina again. Why would I want that? For that reason, I think it best we move you somewhere safer than Castle Gloom.”

“And where might  _ that _ be?” Jacky asked, Olivia glaring daggers at him as well as she pulled away to stand by Sunny’s side once more.

“The Prism Palace.” He responded. “We’ll leave tomorrow morning.”

“I’d rather cut my heart out.” Sunny insisted. This was  _ her _ home.

He met her gaze, and she saw her own fear reflected in his mirror-like eyes. “There is an assassin here in Castle Gloom, m’lady. He tried to kill you tonight and almost succeeded. Do not give him another opportunity. You will leave with us at dawn.”

“I’d rather take my chances with the assassin and I’d rather die than go with you. Uncle? Tell him!”

Olaf drained a goblet of wine. He didn’t seem to care if it was poisoned or not. If she ever asked him about it later, he’d respond that poison was already on his list of enemies anyway. “Sunny, be sensible. He’s right. He’ll look after you.”

“As I would my own daughter.” The duke smiled. There was no affection or even kindness behind it.

“ _ I’m not your daughter and you are not my father!” _ She screamed at him.

Tears leaked from her eyes. The candles still lit around the room flickered of their own accord.

_ I will not cry. I won’t give Solar the satisfaction. I’d rather die than leave Castle Gloom. _

Her mind raced. She didn’t have armies, skill, or magic, but she needed to beat them somehow. She needed time.

“Wait, what about Halloween?” She asked, grasping at a straw. “I can’t leave before Halloween!”

Solar scowled. “What’s so important about  _ that _ ?”

“It  _ is _ Gehenna’s big annual holiday, after all. We throw a huge masquerade ball. It’s been held here since the first stone of the castle was laid.  _ If _ I am to leave, I must need to say goodbye to everyone. It’d be the best time to do so.”

“Why a masquerade?”

“When magic was common, Halloween was the night when barriers between the lands of living and dead were thinnest.” Olivia explained. “The dead would rise and join the living, and no one knew who was alive or dead because of the masks.”

“I wasn’t asking you,  _ wench. _ ” He spat, Jaquelyn growing angrier though Olivia stood her ground.

“But you still received your answer.” She responded curtly, shooting a glance at her wife to please  _ don’t go at him unless you want another fucking war with them. _

All Solar did was glare at her, knowing she was under the protection of the most feared executioner in the world.

“A dance is held in every village, and people wear masks and dress up as ghosts and ghouls,” Sunny quickly chimed in, determined to move the focus from the animosity thick enough to be cut with the blade she knew was up her nanny’s sleeve between Raphael Solar, Olivia Caliban, and Jaquelyn whose last name was unknown because everyone was too afraid to ask.

“Today is the nineteenth. Halloween is nearly two weeks away, and I can’t stay that long.” The duke acted like he was scolding a child, which annoyed Lady Shadow greatly. “I have duties that cannot wait.”

“ _ You _ can leave anytime you want.” Sunny pointed out. “I promise as soon as Halloween is over, I will come straight to Prism Prison- I mean, Prism Palace.” She gave him her widest smile, showing the sharp teeth she’d had since she was a child. She hoped he couldn’t see she was lying right through them.

The duke almost laughed. “I must depart tomorrow morning to visit my domains on the border. However, I will return for this Halloween Ball. It sounds fascinating. In the meanwhile, I shall leave my paladins here. All the better to protect you, m’lady.”

“And what of Gabriel? Surely he’ll want to come with you?” Sunny asked.

“No, I think he’ll stay. It would give you a chance to get to know him better. That would be wonderful, wouldn’t it?”

“So wonderful.” A subtle venom was creeping into her voice, taught by Olivia and Beatrice to be disconcerting in a way the target could not place.

Olaf clapped. “Marvelous! Why don’t you invite the lesser houses to attend, your grace? The Glimmers, the Shards, the Lightbringers! It’ll be splendid. All the great families of Gehenna and Lumina gathered beneath one roof!”

_ Twelve days until Halloween. _

_ Twelve days to come up with a plan to stay at Castle Gloom. _

She  _ knew _ Gabriel was behind tonight’s poisoning. Everything she’d seen tonight, especially his treatment of Duncan, warned her that he was spiteful, selfish, and utterly and completely lacking in honor. Exactly the sort to pour life-bane in her cup just because she’d danced with the Solar hostage instead of him. After all, life-bane was expensive, and who else but someone like Gabriel could afford it? If she could prove it, there’d be no reason to leave Gehenna, would there?

He’d killed Ink. She wanted him punished for that, wanted it more than anything. But you couldn’t punish the heir apparent to Lumina for killing a mere snake, even if that snake was a huge component of the living family she had.

But he’d tried to kill Sunny, and she was ruler of Gehenna. That was treason, and there was only one punishment for that and it was as bad as bad could be to a Solar.

Death.

Death by public execution.

A chill, dreadful thought crept through her mind.

_ Could I do that? Kill someone? Even someone like Gabriel? _

_ I don’t want to have to make that type of decision. _

_ Anyone else should decide. _

_ Anyone but me. _

But there was no one else.

Jaquelyn stood watching still, in the quiet way she did when she was angry. Strangely, the air always felt colder when he was there.

If Gabriel was guilty, then she would have work for her executioner.


	12. “That was my mother’s name.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bea doesn’t actually know about House Coral’s buildings not being entirely wet. She has a VERY limited access to communication where she lived, keeping her family fairly safe from VFD.

A tumultuous cloud of bats swirled above Bea. Their high-pitched shrieks pierced the air as leathery wings tore through the courtyard furiously.

She didn’t know a great amount about bats, though she’d always wanted to, but something was wrong here.

Other bats clung to Castle Gloom’s walls like a rustling cloak, crawling along the stones, twitching, and using the hooks on their wings to hold themselves in place. Red eyes shone in the torchlight, needle-like teeth glistening.

They were such graceful creatures.

The gargoyles along the high walls of the castle looked almost alive; Bea thought she’d seen one turn its head when she and Jaquelyn had entered the courtyard an hour ago.

Creepy. But calling Castle Gloom creepy was like calling the cities of House Coral damp.

The castle was ancient and derelict. The towers rose crookedly into the sky, empty halls squatting around muddy squares with caved-in roofs overhead. The outer walls were covered in black ivy so shiny it looked as though the castle was regularly washed in oil.

Even so, she hadn’t spotted any zombies or vampires yet. That was a bit helpful.

There was no Jaquelyn, which also wasn’t awful. She’d spoken minimally the rest of the journey, and all Bea wanted to do was talk to someone her own age. The moment they’d dismounted, a soldier had come up and said something urgently to the woman, who’d tossed Bea the reins and run off towards the keep and left her to take care of their mounts.

It was fine by her. She much preferred animals to the strange people she presumed lived here. She patted Thunder’s neck. “How do you stand it here? I don’t know if I’ll survive with them.”

The horse replied by lifting his tail and plopping a large, moist lump of shit on the ground.

“Oh. Well then. Thanks for that, Stinky.”

The bats weren’t the only ones who seemed troubled. The many people milling about did, too, and they had swords. 

Every single one.

“None of my business,” Bea muttered. This time, she’d stay well out of it.

Steam rose from Thunder’s “gift”. There was straw sticking out and it stank. Bea needed a broom.

A pack of squires barged out the door, half carrying a blond boy with a nasty scowl.

“Air! He needs fresh air!” One of them yelled.

“I’m fine! Let me go!” The blond shouted. “I did  _ not _ faint. I was… er… checking under the table!” He pushed them off him, straightening his tunic, and dabbed his forehead with his lace sleeve.’

_ Wow. I thought clothes couldn’t be that white. Horseback riding with  _ him _ must be a nightmare. _

His blue eyes met hers. “What are you staring at?”

“Nothing.” She answered nonchalantly.

He pushed two of his cronies out of the way to stand face-to-face with the young girl. He was a bit taller than her, and she guessed a year older.

“Do you know who I am?”

There were a lot of them and just one of her. They were bigger and noble-born and Bea was just a peasant, and she’d probably have to be the bigger person, but she couldn’t restrain herself. She was given an opportunity, and she pounced. “Dressed like that? The court jester?”

“You scum!” He reached for his longsword. 

It was a theatrical weapon, meant for a man, and his arms were too short to unsheathe it quickly. Beatrice gave him a second to get properly tangled up.

Then kicked the boy’s feet from under him. 

He yelled- and dropped face first into the dung.

“Oops.” Bea said, not sorry at all.

He spluttered and gagged. The boy tried to wipe his face but just spread it farther across his face. “What are you waiting for! Get him!”

_ Shit. _

She backed away a bit, crouching into a subtly defensive position as her mother had taught her. The squires drew out daggers.

“How is this a fair fight?” She pointed out. “There’s a ton of you, and one of me.” Although, Bea was fully prepared to jump on Thunder and run away fast until she found the stables.

“No one cares about fair, dumbass.” The biggest called out.

Bea rolled her eyes, a small dagger she’d grabbed off Lukas as she’d left that first night prepared for unsheathing.

A voice called from the darkness. “What’s going on?”

Bea didn’t dare take her eyes of her opponents whose asses she was about to kick, but someone was approaching. All she could really make out was someone in black. 

A  _ she _ someone in black.

She shoved the biggest squire aside so she stood between them and Bea, her voice steely but calm. “I asked a question.”

The blond boy got to his feet. “This maggot attacked me! I demand you have him whipped!”

“First person to touch me loses their teeth,” Bea threatened in a sing-song voice.

“Do shut up,” the girl told her. She seemed about the same age as the boy, and older than Bea. Then she faced him. “You must be mistaken, m’lord. Evidently, you slipped.”

“What?” The boy seemingly couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“What?” Honestly, neither could Bea.

The girl in black shook her head. “Surely you’re not saying that a defenseless,  _ unarmed _ stable boy bested you? If word got around that the duke’s son, armed, surrounded by guards, and set to soon lead a powerful country was defeated by a commoner, then I wonder what everyone would think! Oh, how weak you’d seem. I’m sure your father wouldn’t be to happy with you for it either. You’d humiliate him!”

Whoever this young woman was, she was clever. Perhaps a bit too clever.

The boy’s eyes narrowed. He apparently was thinking. Slowly, but hard. Of course, doing anything for the first time is difficult.

“Yes… I suppose I slipped. It is much too dark here. You should have more torches in the courtyard. See to it.”

She curtseyed. “Of course, m’lord. As you wish.”

The boy and his entourage stormed off.

Beatrice unclenched her fists. “I suppose I owe you a thank you.”

“Are you a total idiot, or do you want to die? You must be, to insult Gabriel like that.” The girl in black suddenly said with a stunning force.

“Important, is he, this Gabriel?”

“Only heir apparent to House Solar. So, yes, fairly important.”

“So he’s a fairly important stuck-up piece of shit.” Insulting the powerful seemed to be becoming a habit. “But as my uncle would say, he did start it.”

“Pretty much. But that’s also the stupidest shit I’ve heard all night.”

“Okay, look. I’ve thanked you already. Can you go away now?” She gathered Thunder’s reins, wanting nothing but to get this year and a day over with. Before, she was lonely. Now, she was a bit irritated. Where were the stables?

“Don’t turn your back on me.”

“Did you hear something, Thunder? No? Me neither.”

She grabbed her arm and pulled the girl back around.

They glared at each other.

_ Look at her. She’s a snob dressed in jewels and pearls, acting like she owns the place. _

“Will you just get lost?” Bea insisted. “Please? I have work to do and I have to figure out how to make things work for me until I can go home.”

The girl softened a little, but it was gone in a moment. “I am Lady Shadow. When I give an order, you follow it.”

_ Oh. Maybe she  _ does _ own the place. _

“You can’t be Lady Shadow! She’d be someone more chilling.”

“Chilling?”

“Crazy vampire sort. Y’know, with a ferocious taste of blood and a craving for fresh meat that eats people whole? With oil-ish hair and black lipstick that everyone runs from when they see them?”

“What’s your name?” She asked.

“Beatrice Snicket.” She curtseyed the way Merrick had taught her. “I’m terribly sorry for my insolence, Your Princessness, but I did not know. I’m kinda new here.”

“What?” Her voice was soft and broken. “It’s quite alright. Are you ill?”

“Isn’t that how you curtsey? And are you okay?”

“That- that was my mother’s name.” She whispered. “She died”

Understanding, Bea took her hand. “I’m so sorry to hear about that. I know how you feel. I lost my father in an accident.”

“I lost both of my parents. My brother, too.”

They stayed that way for a second, mourning what would never be again.

“That’s not how you curtsey, by the way. I mean, unless you’re an octopus.” Lady Shadow smiled, evidently trying to change the subject.

“Lemme guess. Next you’ll say you’re not a princess?” Bea laughed a little.

“Actually, yeah. You’d refer to me as ‘m’lady’.”

“You’re not a princess? Where I come from, you can call yourself a queen if you have two fields. An empress if you’ve got four.”

“Well, where  _ I _ come from, using royal titles is bad luck. Not since the time of the Six Princes.”

“What about King Fernald of House Coral? Doesn’t his family use royal titles?”

“They’re half-fish. It’s not that influential on them, I guess.” She gently slipped her hand away. “When did you arrive here?”

“An hour ago. I came with Jaquelyn.”

Now she looked shocked. “You  _ what? _ ”

“I’m her new squire.” She grabbed a shovel that was lying against the wall. The dung really stank.

“There must be something very special about you, Miss Snicket. Have you slain a dragon recently?”

“Not really…? And you can call me Bea if you want.”

“Troll? Ogre? Army of giants? Something equally heroic?”

“I caught some rabbits. Does that count?”

“I’m just trying to understand why Jaquelyn picked you to be her squire. You  _ do _ know who she is, don’t you?”

“Yeah, that’s been pointed out. A lot.”

“And he lets you look after his horse?”

Bea brushed the forelock from the horse’s eyes. “Well, yeah. Thunder’s really just a big ol’ softie.”

“The last squire who tried that had almost had his hand bitten off.” She smiled and tried to stroke Thunder, but the horse snapped his teeth at her. She backed away, though not breaking eye contact with the beast. “Nice… horsey…”

Bea shrugged. “I’ve always been good with animals. Like my uncle. I once saw him scare a wolf off by whistling.” She looked Lady Shadow over. How could she be wearing so much heavy jewelry and still be standing? “How long have you known Jaquelyn?”

“All my life. She’s been very protective over me, though she’s always been kind of distant.”

“What’s she  _ really _ like?” They’d been riding for two weeks, but the conversation had been limited to “Get up”, “Eat,” and “Sleep,” before and after the night she’d tried to run. “Y’know, on her days off, when she’s not doing executioner stuff?”

“Jacquelyn barely takes a day off. Jaquelyn’s always Jaquelyn, except to her wife. Then she’s Jacky.”

“She has a wife?”

“Yeah. But she’s barely ever off. They’re together when they can be at Castle Gloom, and occasionally will go on missions together. But she refuses to relax. No one knows much about her.”

“That can’t be. What’s her last name?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Everyone’s been too afraid to ask it, and I didn’t think it right judging by her distance from me.”

This was the woman she had to serve for the next year? That would be  _ so wonderful. _ What world was this? Bats swarmed as thick as clouds. A windowless castle bigger than any city she’d seen or heard of, one-name killers, and all ruled by this tiny girl.

They were interrupted by a girl clad in black. She carried a small bundle in her arms, her eyes sad. “M’lady, I have him.”

Lady Shadow took the package and cradled it in her arms. “Thank you, Swishy. You may go.”

The girl, Swishy, glanced at Bea. “Are you sure?”

Lady Shadow nodded. “Not that I don’t want you to be at Inky’s funeral, but I kind of wanted to be there alone. She’s not coming.” Her gaze never left the package. Swishy nodded, shooting another suspicious look at Bea before curtseying and leaving.

“What’s that?” Bea asked.

Lady Shadow’s face fell, tears glistening in her dark eyes. “My pet snake, Ink.”

She could hear the almost tangible pain in her words, see it in her teary eyes. The way it almost choked her. “I’m sorry to hear that. You’re going to bury him?”

“Yes. In the Night Garden.” One of her hands gently stroked the bundle. “Gabriel’s been humiliated twice tonight. He’s not going to let either insult go. I’ll show you to where you’ll be staying. The Garden’s on the way anyway.”

“I can handle him easily.” Bea responded, though she knew she’d have to find out where she was staying somehow. 

“It’s not him that’ll be the problem. It’ll be the ten others he’ll bring with him.”

Bea ducked as a bat screamed overhead, a wing tip brushing her ear. She smiled and shook her head as the other bats darted past before rising into the night.

Lady Shadow laughed. “They’re harmless. Just ignore them.”

“They’re huge! How big do they get?”

“You have no idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a very merry Valentine’s Day!


	13. “Those rules of yours? I’d start breaking them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If Josh Khan is reading the chapters that came after the one I sent him please comment because your cameo is in this one and will carry through I promise

“Who’s that?” Bea asked.

Ahead stood a black marble statue, twelve feet tall and wearing a cloak of bats. Hundreds of them.

There was such a thing as too many bats, apparently.

The statue’s face was gaunt, and Bea could definitely make out family resemblance, even in the twilight. “A Shadow, I suppose?”

“Joshua Shadow. He planted the Night Garden.” Lady Shadow brushed her fingertips along a row of rosebushes. Their petals were shiny black, as though they’d been painted only moments before. The scent was… drowsy, as though perfumed with dreams. “These roses grow only here. They unfurl at night.”

Pebble-strewn paths branched out in all directions, and there were bushes, flowers and trees that Beatrice didn’t recognize even though she’d grown up in a forest.

_ Everything’s strange in Gehenna. I left “normal” behind long ago. _

She adjusted the shovel she held from her right shoulder to the left. “Joshua Shadow? I’ve heard of him. Wasn’t he a vampire?”

“Many Shadows are. He fell in with the wrong crowd when he was younger, eventually bringing him to overuse his magic.”

“This crowd being vampires?”   
“Mm-hmm.”

“I saw this puppet show last year at our midsummer’s fair,” Bea began. “ _ Joshua and the Silver Warrior, Micheal Solar.” _

“A hugely uncreative name.” Lady Shadow muttered.

“Joshua kidnaps Solar’s love, and there’s this big fight and he gets his head chopped off.”

“Okay, just because he was a vampire doesn’t make him a bad person! And even in the title of the play, the Solar warrior gets a title while Lazarus becomes the villain and treated like the dregs of humanity.” She huffed.

“I’m fairly certain it does. And besides, he did kidnap the main love interest.”

“A weak damsel, am I right?”

Bea sighed. “Yeah. Puppet plays are fucking annoying like that.”

“Besides, you only hear the Solars’ side of the story. They always make us villains. Look around. Everyone forgets what a wonderful gardener Joshua was!”

“Didn’t he use the corpses of his victims for fertilizer?”

“Waste not, want not.”

There was a splash from up ahead.

Lady Shadow tightened one arm around her snake and the other gripped one of her necklaces instinctively. “Who’s there?”

Bea hefted the shovel. Was it Gabriel? She was totally ready to bring him down.

_ “Who’s there?” _ Lady Shadow commanded.

A flame flared to life, bringing to the night brightness and color. “It’s just me, Duncan!”

A male person in a long red robe stood beside a pond, rolling fire between his many-ringed fingers.

_ Magic. He knows magic. _

The flame transformed in hues, ranging back and forth through the rainbow and casting weird, mesmerizing patterns across the pond’s surface.

Bea stared, spellbound. She’d never seen real magic before. “Holy shit. Can you teach me that?”

“Sorry, but I don’t think so.”

“What are you doing here?” Lady Shadow asked him, joining Bea by the water’s edge.

“Throwing pebbles. Watching the ripples.” The boy looked up. “And you?”

“Burying Ink.” She gestured toward Bea. “This is Beatrice.”

“Nice to meet you, Beatrice.” He shook the squire’s hand with his free one. “I’m Prince Duncan Djinn of-”

“The Sultanate, I know.” She responded. “That trick was a bit of a giveaway. It’s amazing.”

Duncan smiled in thanks, and the flame canished. Smoke twirled between his fingers for a moment before drifting off in the breeze. He took Lady Shadow’s hand in a comforting motion. “I’m sorry about what happened tonight, Sunny.”

Lady Shadow nodded. “I know.”

“What happened to him?” Bea asked solemnly.

“Poisoned,” Duncan responded.

“Who’d want to poison a pet snake? It probably wouldn’t be doing anything.” There were much easier ways to kill a snake, anyway. But she thought it best not to mention that.

“They were trying to poison me, not Ink.” Lady Shadow sniffed, kneeling by a spot of bare earth between two large rosebushes.

“Oh.” No wonder Jacquelyn had run off like that.

“Any leads, Sunny?” Duncan wondered aloud, desperately hoping for their to be something. He had quite liked Ink, or at least what he’d seen of him.

“It was a poison called life-bane. You’ve heard of it?”

He shook his head.

“I have.” Bea chimed suddenly. She knew things, even if she was but a peasant. “You make it out of berries that grow in Herne’s Forest. Dry them and grind them into a powder. We sprinkle it on old meat to kill rats and wolves.”

“Where did you learn that?” Lady Shadow asked.

“My uncle. He didn’t want my siblings and I scoffing the wrong berries. You need to know what’s safe and what’ll kill you before it reaches your stomach.” She leaned on the shovel. “What happens next, m’lady?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it looks to me as though someone owes you a dog. I’m not sure how you do things here, but where I come from, every action comes with a price. If someone wrongs you, they have to pay for it.”

“I know who did it.” Lady Shadow said suddenly.

Duncan looked up. “You do? Who?”

“Who the fuck do you think? Obviously Gabriel.” She frowned. “But how would I prove it?”

Bea grinned. “That’s an easy one. The best way to find out a secret is to go where you aren’t allowed, listen to what you aren’t meant to hear, and see what you aren’t meant to see.” She gazed at the walls, towers, and battlements that surrounded them. Walls have ears was something her mother said a lot. And this sure was a shit ton of walls.

Duncan nodded knowingly. “You’ll have to be careful, especially after insulting Gabriel tonight.”

“She insulted Gabriel too? How?” Bea was a bit impressed. Perhaps this girl had more sides than she’d initially thought.

“She refused to dance with him.” Duncan stated. “She danced with me.”

“And that’s an insult?” She’d never understand nobles.

“A disregard for status.” Lady Shadow cut in. “Duncan is a hostage, the lowest of the low. I snubbed the third most powerful person in Lumina for a prisoner. Anyway, exposing Gabriel won’t be easy.”

“If life was meant to be easy, then carts would have square wheels.” Bea said philosophically.

“What the fuck?”

“That’s not a saying around here? My uncle would say it all the time, about how making square wheels is easier than round ones-”

“I know what it means, Bea.” Sunny sighed. “I can’t be sneaking in corridors and spying at keyholes.” She kicked a pebble angrily. It sounded to Bea that sneaking and spying were exactly what she wanted to be doing. “There are  _ rules. _ ”

“Stupid rules.” Bea huffed. Nobles were so weird. “I should get back. I don’t want anyone else falling into that dung.”

“Wait.” Sunny turned to her.

“Yeah?”

“If it were up to you, what would you do?” 

“Those rules of yours?” Bea grinned. “I’d start breaking them.”


	14. “Find my brother. He’ll take care of you.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short n sad  
> Sorry about the delay shit just keeps coming up and I’m stressed and my grandfather may have a certain type of cancer but I’m here now to deliver your shadows and misfortune a little off schedule

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit short actually though still enjoy

Sunny watched the girl with her mother’s name walk away, leaving her with Duncan. “I want to bury Ink alone. Sorry, but I’m kicking you out of the Garden for a bit.”

He nodded. “I totally understand. I’d do the same for my chinchillas.”

“Chinchillas?”

“Yeah. I have a family of them back home.”

“Cool.”’

“Yeah.” Duncan turned and strode out of the Garden, and Sunny grabbed the trowel she’d asked Swishy to leave for her.

She knelt, tears running from her eyes to the black shroud over the package she held. Setting Ink aside, she dug a grave close to the water. 

Ink loved to swim.

When she was done, she gently brought Ink down into his grave, her tears accompanying him. “Find Klaus.” She whispered. “Find my brother. He’ll take care of you. You don’t belong to him, though. He’ll look after you until I join you.”

She pulled a satchel from beneath the cloak she wore, producing Ink’s favorite bitter apples. She placed them with him, along with some of his favorite toys. She plucked a single rose, placing it last onto the snake’s body.

“Goodbye.” She sobbed quietly as she reburied him. She plucked a sort of wreath of flowers, weaving it into a crown before placing it as a marking spot, adding a carnation in the center. Sunny grabbed a ring of onyx she wore, pressing it gently into the wreath. She lined the sides of the grave with roses, black orchids, and deep violet forget-me-nots.

She’d never forget her Inky.

Ever.

Feeling lonelier without his presence about her shoulders, she put her face in her hands and sobbed. 

“I can’t do this without you, Ink.” She whispered to the air. “I love you. But please rest peacefully.”

The garden rustled, and Sunny sat up straight. “Who’s there?” She asked, her voice broken.

“It’s just us.” A voice replied. 

Constance, followed by Swishy and her fellow squire Hafsah emerged from the roses. “We came to say goodbye to Inky. And mayyyyyybe console you?” The four used to be the best of friends. They’d run around and play hide-and-seek a lot. They were as close as ever until Sunny was no longer just  _ Sunny _ . Six months ago, when Sunny became their sovereign, the friendship dissolved.

Now, it was all “Yes m’lady,” and “Of course, m’lady.” There was nothing but formality anymore.

She missed them.

This was the first time they’d approached her as friends in what felt like forever.

Sunny nodded, tears filling her eyes again. Hafsah and Swishy sat on either side of Sunny, and Constance nearly in front of her so they sat in an almost-circle.

“Goodbye, Inky. Have a wonderful afterlife.” Out of dried flower petals, Constance had made a little heart. She placed it on the grave, pressing gently down.

Hafsah went next. “We’ll miss you, lil’ guy. But don’t let that hinder you. Go absolutely feral.” She placed a little apple-shaped pin that glowed faintly indigo, an undetectable hue but to those who look for it.

Swishy was last, quiet. She’d been the closest of them to Ink, aside from Sunny. She looked forlornly on the decorated grave. “We’ll never forget you, Ink. We love you.” She whispered, weaving a snake pendant of wrought iron she’d been working on for weeks to wear to the Halloween Ball around the flower crown.

The four sat close together, each beginning to cry.

Eventually, they cuddled close as they had at sleepovers in what they called “Secret Circles”. They’d huddle together and talk about classified teenage girl things.

This time, they shared not secrets, but memories of Inky.

And they sat, the best of friends again for that one moment, and mourned.


	15. “He may be an idiot, but he’s not stupid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No offense to Beabea, but I find Sunny much easier to write
> 
> If Caroline is reading this:  
> Enjoy your cameo. It won’t be the only one.

For squires, each dawn brought the same beginning. Except it happened before dawn. It was a predawn run. 

Today it was out through Dead Man’s Gate for a lap around the hill, then back for weapons training. The last person home went without breakfast because, Bea deduced, Old Colm was an asshole.

She ran alongside Duncan. She wasn’t sure how they’d ended up together. It was probably because they were both strangers in Gehenna and no one really knew what to make of them, yet.

She almost wished he hadn’t come up to her at the gate. They had very little in common, except feeling trapped.

But she was stuck with him, and there was nothing to be done about it.

And  _ stuck _ was surprisingly accurate. The Sultanate boy was plowing unsteadily through the mud, gasping with each breath. He’d fallen once already, face-first. She’d helped him up, of course, but he wasn’t exactly dressed for running in rich ruby-colored robes and dainty embroidered slippers. At least he’d dumped his jewelry.

_ He probably doesn’t want to be weighed down any more than he has to be. _

“You’re not exactly helping yourself with that outfit, Duncan. No one wears a  _ shalwar kameez _ to run. It’s ridiculously hard. Couldn’t you borrow some clothes? I’m sure no one would mind loaning any.”

“I belong to House Djinn. I dress in red.”

“The mud you’re dressed in doesn’t look too red, though,” She offered a small chuckle. She offered him a hand. “Let me help.”

Duncan gave her a weary, grateful smile and took the hand she offered. Between her pulling and his crawling, they managed to get him out of that quagmire of a ditch.

“I’m surprised they let you out,” Bea told him as they started again. “Isn’t Solar worried you’d run off?”

“Of course not! I gave my word to not attempt to escape.” Duncan said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Bea laughed. “You’re joking, right?”

Duncan looked like she’d just stabbed him in the back and she immediately retreated. “Wait. You’re  _ not? _ ”

“When a noble gives their word, they keep it.” Duncan huffed. “It’s about honor.”

She shook her head in amazement. Nobles had such strange rules. “What’re you doing out here, anyway? Nobles don’t need to run; you have horses. I read that the best horses in the New Kingdoms are the fire breeds from the Sultanate.”

“You’re right,” Duncan said. “But we also have flying carpets. Much more comfortable.”

“Flying carpets? For real?”

He laughed, or was having a heart attack. She wasn’t exactly sure, judging by his face turning a dangerous dark red hue. Eventually, though, he started breathing normally. “No, Bea. We used to, but all I have at home is a cushion that hovers a foot or so off the ground.”

_ Back home _ . She could see the brightness in his eyes when he spoke of it. Maybe the two weren’t so different after all.

“This run was Gabriel’s idea, not that he’d join us himself. He thought it would be funny.” Duncan spat. “There’s nothing he’d love more than to see me carried back on a stretcher. But I won’t give him the satisfaction.”

“But he’s not here. Neither are any of his cronies. You could just stand at the finish line and tell him you did it with a bit of good acting.”

“He may be an idiot, but he’s not stupid. He’s probably sitting by a warm fire, tucking into his likely lavish breakfast.”

“That reminds me.” She said abruptly. “If we want our own breakfast, we’d better get a move on.”

There were two hills beyond Dead Man’s Gate. Somehow, they’d slipped Bea’s notice when she’d arrived last night. “Which one do we go around?”

Duncan pointed to the western one, panting “Lamentation Hill.”

“It’s so grim. I’ve never seen anything like it.” The trees were twisted like the bones of old men. “Is it a picnic spot?” That certainly fit the theme. 

“It’s where they execute criminals.”

“Is the other one Really Sad Hill?”

“No. That’s the City of Silence. It’s the Shadow graveyard.”

Now that the mist had begun to clear, Bea could see the crest of the hill was covered in tombs and the slopes were lined with gravestones. “It’s bigger than Castle Gloom.”

“The Shadows have been here for thousands of years,” Duncan explained. “It’s no wonder, then, that the home of the dead is greater than that of the living.”

“It truly is a marvelous place.” She said sarcastically. “Massive graveyard to the left, execution ground to the right.” There were a row of poles sticking up on Lamentation Hill. “What’s on top of those? Birds?”

“Heads.”

“Oh.” She wasn’t surprised. Heads on spikes were common in some places. She counted a total of five. “Whose?”

“The brigands who killed Sunny’s family,” He replied. “What I heard was that Lord Shadow, his wife, and his son had gone to sign a treaty with the Solars. The Black Ford Truce, they call it, and it’s the first time the two houses have had peace in a hundred years or so. Sunny’s brother was going to marry one of the duke’s four sons, the girls having protested strongly and had to be disciplined.”

“But I thought they hated each other.”

He tapped her forehead. “Think about it. The duke’s grandchild when they’d adopt an heir, willingly or not, would be ruler of Gehenna one day. We belong to ancient families, Beatrice. We take the long view.”

“Then what happened?”

“The deal was done and Lord Bertrand, Lady Beatrice, and their son, Klaus, were on the way back when they were ambushed, robbed, and killed. The brigands even burned the bodies in the hope that no one would recognize them.”

“Where was our Lady of the Underground then?”

“Back here. Her family had thought it wise to give her some responsibility and take care of Castle Gloom and Gehenna while they were gone.”

“Wow. I can’t say I’m surprised, though.” She’d only met the girl last night, but there was a certain flame in her eyes. A strong care for her people and her country. “And that choice did save her life and bloodline, didn’t it? So how did the heads end up on poles? I would’ve thought the brigands would’ve made themselves scarce after committing treason.”

“They weren’t citizens of Gehenna. So it'd be more classified as a war crime. Jaquelyn caught them. She’d chase you past the gates of hell if she had to. They still had Lady Beatrice’s jewels on them. One of them had gotten away, but she killed five of them. She’s been searching for him ever since.”

Bea understood. Her village, Stour, suffered bandits like most places, but they’d lost the occasional chicken or sheep. Men got desperate. But stealing was one thing; murder was something else.

Duncan glanced back at the ragtag bunch of squires approaching. “Let’s press on. We don’t want to be the last.”

❧

They weren’t last. Last was a girl named Caroline, who is actually quite important to our story.

Old Colm, the weapons master, stomped out, dragging her along. Despite his wooden leg, Old Colm moved fast. 

“I wasn’t last.” She protested. “You can just say I’m first for yesterday’s race. And technically I was closest to finishing still. So I was first.”

He shoved her down the steps into the courtyard, but she resisted. “No food and water for this one today. Maybe she’ll be quicker on an empty stomach.”

Caroline glared. “Maybe I’d be quicker if I had some kind of motivation! Maybe if you were decent!”

He ignored her. Apparently this was a regular thing. 

Caroline wasn’t terribly short, with a sea-foam colored bandanna over her brown hair. She evidently had come here from House Coral, though willingly.

The squires lined up in the courtyard of Dead Man’s Gate. Bea dragged Duncan over to stand with her next to the girl. The mud was stiff with frost, and her breath came out in a big cloud when she offered to share her food and earning a grateful thanks in return. A day without water would kill a girl who’d been born in the seas, so it was the least she could do.

“I’m Bea, from Herne’s Forest. And this is Prince Duncan Djinn of the Sultanate of Fire.”

“Caroline from the Coral Seas. Nice to meet you.”

“Enchanted.” Duncan responded.

Old Colm growled their way, and they immediately shut up. But Bea saw the way the squires looked at her. “What are they so interested in?” She muttered.

Duncan mimed something smacking his face. “They heard about what you did to Gabriel last night- which was brilliant, by the way. Remind me to buy you a palace next time you’re in the Sultanate.”

“Will do.”

“And before you ask, let me tell you that Gabriel isn’t the sort of person who’ll hold a petty, vindictive grudge and come after you in the middle of the night with a mob.”

_ That’s oddly specific.  _ “Really?”

“No. I’d sleep with my eyes open from now on if I were you.”

She scowled. “Next time we go running, I’ll leave you in the mud if you don’t help me out.” This day was getting worse and worse.

Old Colm looked them up and down, shaking his head. “By the Six Princes, I’ve never seen anything so pathetic. You all couldn’t fight a cold. You’re not squires, you’re trolls. What are you?”

“Trolls, sir.” They grumbled. 

“Say it like you mean it!”

“WE’RE TROLLS, SIR!” Everyone shouted at him.

It was a well-known fact that Old Colm hated trolls. Story was, a troll chieftain had ripped his leg off in a battle. Old Colm had grabbed it and used it to beat him to death. Now he hated all of them for the war-induced action of one.

Everyone hated bigoted Old Colm.

The weapons master waved at the bundle of unstrung bows against the wall. “Now take one each.”

The squires looked to each other, uncertain. 

“What are you waiting for? String them!” He ordered. He handed a large iron key to one of the older boys, who happened to be the heir to House Tenebre. He’d been training to be a part of the Black Guard, and would graduate next spring. “Tom, go get some more arrows from the armory. I reckon we’ll be losing plenty over the wall.”

The hay targets stood two hundred feet away, against the Black Keep wall and below watching gargoyles. In the center of each bale was the red bull’s-eye, the size of Bea’s thumbnail from her distance.

The squires struggled. The bows wouldn’t bend. One sprang up, smacking a boy on his forehead. A girl wearing a scarf winced as she cut herself on the thin bowstring.

Bea hooked the bottom of the stave around her ankle and back of her leg. The stave ran up behind her, against her shoulder. She gripped the horn tip and bent down. The wood creaked, pressing hard against her back, desperate to spring back straight. With her right hand, she flipped the bowstring over the tip, then relaxed. She plucked the taut bowstring. Ready.

“How did you do that?” Duncan asked her as he wrestled with her own bow.

“Use your whole body to bend it, not just your arms.”

He tried it. “Thanks.”

“I’ll tell you what,” Old Colm said, holding a silver crown between his finger and thumb. “See this? I’ll give it to the first person who scores a bull’s-eye. Halloween’s eleven days away, but the fair’s already setting up on Devil’s Knoll. A lad with silver in his pocket could have a fine old time at the fair.” He winked. “Know what I mean?”

Everyone forced laughs, but there were plenty of hungry eyes on the coin. A crown was an adult’s weekly wage.

The squires lined up in four columns, each facing one of the targets. Bea was last in line. Arrows flew. Some hit the hay, others the walls, and plenty skimmed the courtyard floor. One boy put one through his boot and the foot within it, and was carried off to the infirmary, howling. None hit the bull’s-eye, and Old Colm’s coin remained unclaimed in his pocket.

Bea reached the front. She picked a good arrow, one that was straight and its fletching neat and smooth. She nocked it and hooked her thumb around the bowstring.

This is not how one is generally taught to shoot an arrow, as I’m sure you know, reader.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Old Colm exclaimed.

She looked down at her thumb. “This is how my uncle taught me.”

“Oh, did he? Now tell me, troll, was he a legendary archer? Perhaps he was taught by elves, was he? Your fingers not good enough?”

“No, sir. He and my mother were taught by dryads.”

“Dryads are cowards. They aren’t good teachers.”

Bea’s face went red with embarrassment as some of the squires snickered. She rearranged her grip so the bowstring was held between her fingers like everyone else. One above the notch, two below.

“No, no, no,” said Old Colm. “That won’t do at all. Gather ‘round, trolls! Let the new girl show us how’s it done. With her thumb. What do I know? I’ve only been teaching archery for fifty years.” He folded his arms. “Come on, troll, show me. Please, teach us all how to shoot!”

Beatrice glared, her heart beating rapidly as the gaze of everyone else burned her skin. Some laughed, and the girl who’d cut herself earlier shoved them so they’d shut up. But they liked it when a new kid got humiliated, apparently, since they kept joking with each other when she went to stand with Caroline.

Old Colm nudged her. “The target’s over there.”

Bea took a deep breath. She turned side-on to the target. She relaxed her shoulders and blocked out the giggles and noise around her.

She hooked her thumb around the bowstring, raised the bow, drew the string to her chin, and saw the line of the arrow, the target a haze beyond. 

_ Don’t worry about the target, _ Uncle would say.  _ The arrow can do that. You just have to send it off. _ Then he’d look a bit wistful until she made the shot.

Bea let the bowstring go. The arrow flew.

She heard the  _ thunk. _ She didn’t need to look. The gasp from her fellows told her everything.

Bull’s-eye.

Old Colm scowled. He handed Bea another arrow. “A fluke. Do it again.”

Beatrice tok it.

There was someone watching from the steps that led to the main doors. Bea saw steam from a shiny black mug, and the ghost of the scent of hot chocolate with cinnamon reached only her.

Jacky only had it when Olivia forced her to.

The fading light hit her hard face. The squires murmured among themselves. A few boys puffed up their chests, and other people stood straighter, all wanting to impress the executioner.

But not Beatrice.

She should do what Lilac and her uncle had told her.

_ Stay out of trouble. Don’t attract unnecessary attention. _

Bea’s archery was what had landed her uncle in so much trouble. Bea’s archery and arrogance.

_ I’ll miss it. _

That was the sensible, clever thing to do. Make her first shot seem like sheer luck. A fluke.

_ Miss. _

_ Go on. Just miss. _

Why was it so hard? The bull’s-eye was right there, just waiting to be hit. It seemed huge.

_ I...can’t miss. I don’t  _ want  _ to miss it! Why should I? _

_ Miss! _

Bea nocked the second arrow, drew, and loosed.

The arrow sailed high. Well over the targets. It flew upward and toward the keep wall.

It buried itself down the open throat of one of the gargoyles. It went clean in, so only the edges of the white goose-feather fletching remained visible, jutting out between the gargoyle’s fangs.

Bea had missed. Spectacularly.

Duncan stared at it. So did Caroline. Everyone else, too.

“Well, I’m not going up there and getting it,” muttered someone.

Old Colm grunted. “As I thought, a fluke. Now everyone, line up. Watch Dan. He’ll show you how to shoot  _ properly.” _

Jaquelyn took a sip of her cocoa and went back inside the keep.

While the others were distracted, Old Colm tossed Bea the crown. “Here, catch. I don’t know what you’re up to, troll, but I don’t appreciate being made a fool of.”

“A fool, sir? I don’t understand. I missed.”

“Did you?” He looked up at the gargoyle. “In which case that’s the best worst shot I’ve ever seen.”

❧

Bea drew the brush over the horse’s coat.

Why had she made that shot?

Stupid. All it had done was make everyone suspicious. Especially Jaquelyn.

Practice had gone on until well after sunup, and Bea had made sure not to be too good, but it was too late. At breakfast everyone was talking about two things: the poisoning at the feast and Bea’s shooting abilities. As soon as breakfast was over, she’d escaped to the stables.

And that suited her fine. She enjoyed grooming horses. Especially ones like Thunder. His coat was so black it held all the other colors. Purples and blues and even shades of green rippled within it. They’d had a cart horse back home, and Bea had spent a summer learning to ride on it. It had been seventeen hands large, equal to Thunder, but it had been slow and docile, and not too bright. Thunder was different. Very different. Despite his size, he looked nimble enough to dance on a penny.

Bea picked another stone from the horse’s hoof. She liked this sort of work. It wasn’t super complicated with little to no surprises and she could let herself think. As long as you fed one end and cleaned the other, you couldn’t go far wrong.

Out of the corner of her eye, Bea glimpsed a squire heading towards her.

_ Now what? _

She stopped in front of Bea. “That’s Thunder, isn’t it?”

“Can I help you?” Bea sighed. “I met you last night, didn’t I? You brought the snake. What’s your name?”

The girl was quiet for a minute. “My name is Swishy.” She was dressed in a black outfit a bit fancier than Bea’s, but she looked a little nervous, eyes darting this way and that. “It’s just that I was over at the lesser hall, where the Solars are? I heard Gabriel talking. He isn’t happy.”

“Of course not. He probably saw himself in the mirror.”

Swishy chuckled at that. “He was talking about revenge for what you did to him. Dramatic piece of horseshit much?”

“Exactly.” Bea frowned. She’d hoped Duncan was wrong about Gabriel. No such luck.

“He’s quite the little toad, isn’t he?” She looked over at the other squires, who were far enough to not eavesdrop but tried to anyway without being obvious.

They were very obvious.

“Have you come over to help me, then?”

Swishy sighed. “Don’t you get it? Gabriel’s going to marry Sunshade Shadow and then he’ll be our future ruler. We can’t risk making an enemy of him.”

“Then why are you telling me this?”

“Because I want to help, Beatrice. The other squires pledged to not help you and save themselves-”

“Because you’re a bunch of cowards?”

“My friends and I don’t like Gabriel any more than you do. I offer you our covert help, because the squires would take it as a kind of betrayal if it was overt and they’d be after us with Gabriel and his cronies.”

So, basically, she was on her own. Some things never changed.

“How long do I have?”

“Not long.” She shoved herself and Bea into Thunder’s stall with the horse, locking it. 

“I can try to get backup if you want.”

Bea nodded, and Swishy disappeared into the hay and was gone. 

The barn doors swung open just thin and Gabriel and a dozen of white clad squires walked in. Some had cudgels, others daggers. He looked around for Beatrice, grinning madly.


	16. “Beatrice Angelina Snicket was lost. Completely, utterly, and totally lost.”

“Think you can make a fool of me, peasant?” Gabriel snarled. “Think you can get away with what you did?”

“You mean shove your face in manure?” Bea grinned as she called back from atop Thunder. There was only a broom in the stall, and she’d hoped to use it. The door was unbolted. “Yeah, I reckon I can.”

Everyone was gone. There was no one to help her now.

Gabriel’s smile grew. “I’m going to teach you a lesson about respecting your betters. I’m going to  _ carve _ it into you so you never forget it.” He opened the door to the stall, watching her. “Pathetic wench.”

Thunder stamped his hoof. He whinnied and shook his head. He knew Bea was in trouble.

“Get her!” Gabriel ordered.

Bea grabbed ahold of the horse’s mane and kicked her heels, broom in her other hand. “Go, boy!” She shouted.

The horse charged.

It didn’t matter that they had clubs and knives. It didn’t matter that there were more than ten of them. What mattered was they were on foot and Bea was on a massive, muscular warhorse trained to trample  _ everything _ in its path. Seventeen hands high, he was built and bred to carry a fully armored Black Guardsman into battle. With hooves that could cave in skulls and teeth big enough to snap off hands, Thunder crossed the small gap between the pen and stable doors in a second.

The squires dove aside. Two weren’t quick enough, and the horse glanced them with his shoulder and sent them tumbling.

Bea couched the broom handle under her right arm and aimed the brush at the largest target visible.

Gabriel.

The broom smacked dead center with a deafening clang. Gabriel flew twenty feet through the air, flipping over and over like a rubber chicken, then smacked down in a fresh pile of horseshit.

“Whoa, boy!” Bea called, trying to take control. But the warhorse had his own ideas.

Thunder spun around, searching for more enemies, and that was a little too much for Bea. She wasn’t exactly a horsewoman. Fighting off squires with a broom and staying on was one job too many.

So she fell off.

Solar squires spilled out of the stables like it was infested. Others got to their feet after diving away from the charging Thunder, their white tunics filthy with mud. A couple dragged Gabriel out of the fly-infested mound he was stuck in. His breastplate had a broom-shaped dent in it. A big one at that.

“Get her!” Gabriel yelled, frothing at the mouth.  _ “Get her!” _

There was no way Bea would win this. She dragged herself out of the mud and ran. She dashed toward a gap between a tower and wall. She wasn’t sure where she was running to, but she just wanted to be out of the courtyard.

She ran between tottering walls and leaning towers and over crumbling stairs and half-demolished bridges. Sometimes the cries of the squires faded to almost nothing, then suddenly they’d be at her shoulder. 

Bea ran as fast as she could, not looking back, deep into the labyrinthine paths of Castle Gloom.

She ran until her legs burned and her chest ached. She found an alcove, just a break in the wall, and stopped to catch her breath and look around.

Beatrice Angelina Snicket was lost.

Completely, utterly, and totally lost.

None of Castle Gloom made sense. It was a hodgepodge of buildings, all in different styles from different centuries, made of marble, granite, brick, and whoever knew what else. All of it was ancient.

Breath caught, Bea raced on. Down an alley and around-

She’d hit a dead end.

A wall blocked her way, too tall to jump over and covered in black ivy so shiny they looked as though they’d been painted with oil. She grabbed a vine and tugged it gently. It was brittle and dry. It wasn’t like the trees in Herne’s Forest where she could look at a bough and be able to tell if it could hold her weight.

Still the squires pursued her.

Back in the courtyard, with others there, someone might’ve stepped in to make sure things didn’t get out of hand. But now, in the alleyway, all alone? Led by Gabriel?

_ If they catch me, I’m dead. _

She had no choice.

She pulled herself up and climbed the wall. A thorn jabbed into her palm, but she ignored it.

She was going to get punctured a lot more if she stayed in the alleyway.

Bea reached up and her hand came down onto an ancient roof. She pushed herself up through the last few inches and slid along on her stomach.

“She’s up there!”

She glanced down. A group of squires stared up at her. 

She waved. “How unfortunate. You can get lost now.” No one would willingly risk following her unless they were ridiculously stupid. She kicked a foot gently and a few tiles fell off under her shoes.

The squires jumped as they shattered.

“What are you waiting for?” Gabriel huffed, eyes bulging as he caught up. 

“We can’t do this anymore, Gabriel. It’s too dangerous.” One of the squires said- the one who had led the charge against her. 

“What’s wrong with you? Are you  _ scared _ of a girl?!” The noble responded angrily.

“She’s throwing shingles at us! Someone could die. We can’t climb that wall without getting hurt.”

“ _ Please.” _ Gabriel scoffed. “I could climb that with one hand and be fine. You aren’t that weak, so you obviously can too.”

“Then do it, if  _ you’re _ so good at it!” Another squire blurted out angrily, immediately covering his mouth.

“Go get her,” Gabriel seethed. “Or I will tell my father that you’re all useless and didn’t follow orders!”

Bea picked up a shingle, running her hand down the jagged edge. At this range, she wouldn't miss. But they didn’t  _ want _ to chase her. They were being bullied into doing it.

Even so, the squires began to scramble up the wall the way she’d done.

Gabriel was the one who really deserved a chunk of slate in his forehead.

“Fuck you!” She called down, letting him know how annoyed she really was.

“How dare you! I am a scion of House Solar!”

“Oh.” Bea seemed to be mulling it over, maybe apologizing. Gabriel smirked as though this trick worked every time and he was glad of it.

“Fuck you even more then.” She grinned back at him before taking off again, away from the incoming squires. She ran along the rooftops, slipping on slate and sprinting down shingles. It went on, merging with another. Castle Gloom stretched off in all directions. A life spent climbing trees and running along boughs gave Bea a sure and light foot, and she moved swiftly across the roof.

She jumped from one rooftop to another, this one having a small rope slipping off one side, looking out on a courtyard of huts that looked perfect for hide-and-seek. There were slide-type things coming off the roof made of built up residue from centuries past. Bea was inclined to go down one, but the courtyard looked exclusive. She’d be trapped or back on the ground and in Gabriel’s path if she went.

So she raced on.

The rooftop ended and another began, and she dropped onto it. It was patched with holes, and the tiles underfoot creaked. The old timber supports groaned as she stepped.

_ Not good. _

She reached the end of this roof and realized there was a gap about five feet across. But this one caused Bea to come to a halt.

It wasn’t the distance across she was worried about. She still could possibly make it.

It was the distance to the ground. It was fifty feet straight down and… kersplat.

Maybe there was another, safer route?

Just then the first of the squires reached the top. He shuffled warily towards her, seeing she was trapped. He drew out his dagger.

Bea’s heart pounded. She focused on the spot in front of her. The morning dew shone on the slate.

Nevertheless, she backed up and leapt with a running start.

As she landed, her left foot slipped. Her back hit the roof, the wind knocked out of her. Her head cracked a few tiles, and they fell away. 

_ No, no, no… _

She started to slide down the roof feet-first, faster and faster with each second. She dug in her heels, trying to slow down, but she was already going too fast and the slope was too steep.

Somewhere far below she heard tiles smashing on the cobblestones.

Her stomach lurched as her feet slipped over the edge into open air.

Beatrice just had time to cry out before she fell off the roof.


	17. “Father and Mother wouldn’t have just sat around waiting for others to sort it out. Klaus wouldn’t have just handed a case of treason over to their grandmother and her drunk guardian. They would’ve done it themselves.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cut it close today! (Therefore meaning the next chapter is one I just started yesterday lmao)

“How would we prove Gabriel’s the poisoner? And how do we do it before I’m carted off to Prism Palace?”

Sunny paced around her room, Carmelita sitting on her bed. Both were lost in thought, the latter toying with her platinum necklace and the former with a little obsidian scalpel she had from when her mother had tried to teach her doctoring.

“We need to be sneaky. If Olaf or Olivia found out what we’re doing, they’d keep us locked up in our rooms until Halloween.” Carm offered as a start.

“And if Sue does? That’ll be so much worse.” Sunny responded.

“That won’t happen. Deviousness is my middle name.”

“Much better than mine. Neither Lilith nor Hecate are very cool.”

Father and Mother wouldn’t have just sat around waiting for others to sort it out. Klaus wouldn’t have just handed a case of treason over to their grandmother and her drunk guardian. They would’ve done it themselves. Her brother would call it “leading from the front.”

They were calling it leading from the shadows.

“They’re not that bad. Where would we begin?” Carm amended.

“At the beginning.”

In the cellars, where the wine for the feast was stored and opened.

The plan was for Carmelita to get a path clear for Sunny to sneak through. Distract adults or servants and find fast routes for the Lady to run through.

Sunny approached one of the servants when they’d arrived. The boy who had carried in the goblets the night of the feast was holding a bottle of wine for that night’s dinner. She knew that he’d already been interrogated by Jaquelyn, but she had a few questions of her own.

“Hello,” She said softly.

The boy almost dropped the wine bottle when he saw her, darkly dressed, standing right behind him.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” She said, smiling warmly. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder, attempting to calm him.

“Er…”

“What’s your name?” Her voice was gentle, undemanding.

“Um… Joshua?” He stepped back and bowed. “M’lady.”

“Do you work here?” She looked around the cellar. Plenty of the racks were kind of empty. It couldn’t all be because of the feast, could it? There were a ridiculous amount of Solar guests, but not that many.

Or was it Olaf? Even he couldn’t drink  _ that _ much.

“Yes, m’lady.”

“Good. It’s just…” She took a breath, trying to figure out how to phrase it. “Don’t freak out. I know this is kind of random. But I’m trying to figure out who tried to poison me. Do you know?” Her voice was still careful to not seem accusatory and scare him off.

“Uh…” Joshua turned ashen and started shaking. “N-no, m’lady. I-I’d hate to see you gone…”

She stepped closer, her gaze concerned. “Are you alright?” She took the bottle from his hand and set it down, bringing him to sit against the wall. He nodded frantically. She put an arm around him and let him sit there until he calmed down. When he had, she picked up again. “I think I know who it was. I just need your help proving it.”

He nodded slowly, fear still in his eyes.

“Relax, Joshua. I’m not going to do anything to you. I just have to ask you this. Please.”

He seemed to relax a bit at her words. “Okay…”

“Was it Gabriel? Did he poison my glass?”

“Huh?”

“Gabriel Solar? Dresses all pretty but with the face and mind of an imbecile? My fiancé?” That word made her want to vomit. “Did he put something in my goblet?”

“M’lady, I know nothing. The steward just handed me the tray with the goblets already filled. I just carried it up from here!”

“Of course. And where is he at this time?”

“The kitchens, m’lady.”

She helped him up, handing him the bottle he had been holding when she came. “Thank you for your time, Joshua. And thank you for your knowledge.”

“Of course, m’lady. Anything for you.” He bowed. 

She smiled as she left.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Sunny had to admit this was more enjoyable than being stuck in her rooms. If her search carried on this way, she’d probably be done by lunch.

❧

Carmelita finished her long conversation with Hector, the head of repairs, when Sunny turned the corner on her return trip from the cellar. After a moment so it would not look as though she was going to meet anyone, she followed.

“Anything?”

“The servant I talked to was deathly afraid of me and the steward is the one who filled the cups so we have to find him.”

Carm nodded, turning another corner first and cornering Olivia for a captivating conversation, which was quite a feat. It wasn’t designed to take very long, as she knew the librarian was heading in the other direction. Afterward, she cornered Sue.

“What are you doing about, m’lady? And so close to the kitchens?” The maid asked.

Carmelita put on her most pitiful face. “I’m lost. Castle Gloom is so big, and I have no knowledge of where I need to go.”

Susan nodded, understanding. “I’ll have someone show you to your rooms.”

“But there’s no one here!”

“There’s someone now.” A squire with a sea-foam colored bandanna tied around her hair was walking out of a door with a bag of grain. “Caroline! Show Lady Solar to her quarters.” 

Caroline nodded. 

With no tactics left, Carmelita let Caroline lead her away and hoped that Sue was not going to the kitchen but instead the many passages in that direction. 

❧

Well before Sunny reached the kitchen, she could hear it. Pots and pans clanging, the sizzling of the food she could smell from here. Bread was baking and soups simmering, onions and garlic sizzling in their pans as a hundred other herbs and spices mixed with meat. 

A maid rushed out of the kitchen door with a tray of toast and marmalade. There was a bottle of wine, too, obviously for her guardian. She took a deep breath and entered. 

The cook waved her rolling pin at the baker and then the butcher and then the boy who struggled with the fresh loaves piled in his arm as he scurried past maids and wove through tables. She ruled the kitchen, a general in an apron. Waves of heat ripples across the flour-strewn floor as oven doors crashed open and slammed shut. Over the spit were two big sheep, fat hissing as it dripped into the coals. 

Now who was the steward?

She stopped a servant who lumbered past with a sack of flour on his back. “Excuse me, but I’m looking for the- ”

“Can’t you see I’m busy, girl?” He adjusted the load on his back. “Though I never thought I’d see the day we’d be feeding the Solars and their kin.”

“I was just wondering-”

“I said…” he looked up then, glaring angrily at her. Then the anger turned to terror. “M’lady, I didn’t realize it was you! Many apologies.”

“The steward. Where is he?”

“Over there. With the ladle.” He forced a still smile on his fearful face. “What I was saying about the Solars… I mean it’s a blessing by the Six themselves that we’ve such fine guests. They light up the room, as it were. And I’ve never seen a more handsome lad than Gabriel. Ridiculously handsome, he is.”

“Yes, Gabriel certainly is ridiculous.” Sunny replied. She spotted the steward and left the servant with his flour. 

The steward was testing the soup, sipping delicately from an iron ladle. 

“Morning!” Sunny said, as brightly as she could. 

The steward spluttered. “M‘lady?”

Why had everyone stopped working? She tried to ignore all eyes upon her. Devious. She had to think devious. Cunning and subtle. Like Mother. Like Olivia. 

First, she needed to put him at ease. She wasn’t entirely sure how one spoke to servants, but it couldn’t possibly be that hard. Could it?

“Wonderful weather we’re having, isn’t it? For this time of year. And those socks you’re wearing, pure lamb’s wool? I bet they must keep your toes  _ very _ snug.”

The steward stared at his socks in confusion, and back at her with a pained expression. “Er… my socks, m’lady?”

This was working out brilliantly. Now perhaps she should pay him a compliment? Yes, to gain his trust.

“I love what you’ve done with your hair,” Sunny lied, pointing at the few tufts around his ears.

“Many thanks for noticing, m’lady. No one has. I opted for something simple and elegant.

There, she had his complete confidence. “Of course. So, I was wondering, about last night. You didn’t happen to see who tried to poison me, did you?”

The ladle dropped from his fingers and clanged on the stone floor.

Sunny paused. That seemed rather accusatory, didn’t it? She pressed her fingertips together and put on her hardest stare. She’d often faced it from Father when she caused mayhem, and she’d always crumbled under the piercing gaze. Now it was her turn to try it. “You seem quite nervous. Is there anything you wish to inform me?”

Was he in on the poisoning? Gabriel wasn’t the sort of person to do his own dirty work when he could get a minion to do it for him. Maybe he paid the steward to do it? Yes, all the pieces were falling into place. She was willing to bet that she’d find a bag of Luminean sovereigns hidden under his bed if she was inclined to search his room.

Perhaps he was still working for Gabriel; after all, the poisoning had failed yesterday. He might try again, and when better than at breakfast?

She looked suspiciously at the soup.

“Sunshade Shadow!”

_ Shit. _

Susan bustled through the watching cooks and serving girls, one hand dragging a white-faced Joshua, the other hand clasping her usual ledger.

Sunny turned to the steward. “I’ll deal with you in a moment.” She turned on her heel, facing Sue. “Do you sleep with that book or something?”

“I use it as a pillow.” She said, unapologetically. She pulled the boy up. “What have you been saying to him?”

“Nothing! I was following a metaphorical breadcrumb trail and he was deathly afraid so I helped him calm down when I came across him. That’s it.”

“So you didn’t accuse him of treason?”

“Of course not!” She glanced toward the steward, who was trembling. “Not him, anyway.”

Sue let go of Joshua and rubbed her temple. “I can feel one of the  _ special _ headaches coming on. You’ll be the death of me, Sunny.”

She took her grandmother’s arm and pulled her to one side. “I think I know who killed Ink.” She whispered.

Sue clutched the ledger to her chest. “You do?”

“Right here, in this room.”

“Oh god. Sunny…”

Lady Shadow tilted her head slightly. “It’s him. The steward.”

Suze opened her mouth to speak. Then shut it. Then opened it again. 

Then grabbed Sunny by the wrist.

“Ow!”

“Come one. We’re leaving.”

“But what about him?” She asked, pointing first at the steward and then at the pot on the stove. “For all we know, he poisoned the soup!”

Sue spun around and glared at the steward. “Have you?”

“N-no! Of course not.”

“Satisfied?” She asked the girl.

Sunny glowered. “Of course he’s going to say that.”

Susan snatched a spoon out of a cook’s hand and filled it with soup.

“Suze! Don’t!” Sunny warned.

Sue swallowed it. She grimaced.

Sunny gasped. “What’s the matter? Is there poison?”

“Worse.”

“Worse?” Sunny wanted to scream. She didn’t want Sue to die!

“Garlic!” She exclaimed. “Did I or did I not tell you to not put garlic? The duke’s son hates it! He’s a Solar, you know that. He’ll start a war over it!” She yeeted the spoon at his head.

So the soup wasn’t poisoned. Maybe Sunny had been wrong about the steward. She decided to take her leave. There was still plenty of investigation to be done. Better she go quietly, so as to not interrupt…

But Sue must’ve had eyes in the back of her head. “You stay right there.”

“I  _ am _ Lady Shadow, you know,” said Sunny, trying to reclaim some dignity. “You can’t order me around.”

Sue looked her in the eye. She put her forefinger on Sunny’s nose. “Did you say something? Or was that a mouse?”

Sunny glowered, choosing her next words. But before she could, Sue’s voice dropped to a low hiss. “I know you want to find out who killed Ink. I do too. But you’re not doing it right. Go straight back to your rooms and prepare for your ambassadorial meeting. Stop bothering my staff- they’re terrified. Leave this kind of business to Jacquelyn and her ranks so that you can punish the culprit much more easily. Am I clear?”

Sunny nodded, still glowering.

“Good. Now run along!” Sue inhaled deeply. Then she gazed around the silent kitchen and clapped once. “What are you all gawking at? Get back to work!”

“I don’t believe that abridging the freedom of expression and the free exercise thereof is the proper way to run a community.” She muttered under her breath as she left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you @midas-touch-of-angst for your amazing work on snicketwiki because I needed that Sunny quote at the end
> 
> Also don’t blame Caroline for Sunny getting busted. When Sue says to do something you better _do_ it


	18. “They didn’t want a ruler. They wanted a silly little girl.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SORRY I FORGOT TO POST YESTERDAY! Ilysm

Sunny stomped back and forth in her bedroom, her boots beating hard on the vast mosaic that covered the floor. She stopped on the face of her ancestor, Ball Demon-scourge, a sorcerer who had overseen the construction of the Great Hall.

Why couldn’t she be more like him? Even the lords of hell feared Baal.

Who feared her? Maids who thought she was accusing them of treason. They didn’t influence nobles.

Instead, Sue ordered her about like a scullery maid!

Carmelita had run off, sensing that her friend wanted to be alone. 

Sunny kicked her chair. It wasn’t just Susan. No, there was Duke Solar, too. And Count Olaf. Even Olivia. She would’ve thought even her nanny would try to help her, but she was just like the rest. They wanted Sunny to sit quietly, look pretty, not make a fuss, and get married. They didn’t want a ruler; they wanted a silly little girl.

She threw herself onto the bed.

_ What can I do? _

She stared at the ceiling, at the painting of dancing skeletons and ghosts looming over tombs and gravestones. Zombies, of course. So many of them.

_ Count the bones. _ Lady Beatrice would often tell her when she couldn’t sleep even after Klaus’ bedtime tales of  _ Anna Karenina _ yet again.

That’s what they wanted: for her to stay there and do nothing. Sleep and sleep until her wedding day.

Wasn’t there a story about a princess who’d slept for a hundred years, waiting for her prince?

_ Fucking dumbass. _

She jumped up.

_ I need another plan. _

She wasn’t going to give up. Maybe, just maybe, it hadn’t been Gabriel. But if not him, then who?

Sunny went to her desk. She’d make a list of suspects. Start there. Then investigate each person until she figured out who the poisoner was. She pulled out a sheet of parchment and dipped her quill into the ink.

There was a knock at the door,

“Go away. I’m busy.” She poised the nib over the parchment and wrote Gabriel’s name at the top. But she needed more than just that one. That was the whole point. Could it be Olaf? No, he was just an idiotic drunkard. He didn’t have malignant intent.

The door opened a crack. “Hello?”

It was Constance, carrying a tray. “I brought you food. I have lamb broth and fresh bread and I thought you might want chocolate. Just because.”

“I said I’m busy.” She couldn’t think of anyone else to put on the list. Not a single person. Maybe she wasn’t clever enough to do this. Maybe she was just the silly little girl everyone wanted her to be.

_ No. That can’t be true. I won’t allow it. _

_ You didn’t allow the death of your family, did you?  _ A tiny voice whispered in her mind.  _ You couldn’t stop it. _

Constance put the tray down beside her. “But, m’lady, you need-”

Sunny flung her arm across the desk, hurling the tray and all its contents across the room. “ _ I AM BUSY!” _

“You do realize you can eat while being busy. I thought-”

_ “Thought?” _ Snapped Sunny, fury washing over her. “You  _ thought _ , Constance?  _ You? _ Quick, write that down in the castle histories:  _ Constance thought!” _

“Glad you got that out of the way. All rulers do it at one point. Now neither of us have to deal with it again.” She calmly but icily made her way to the mess, moving to clean it up as per her job entailed.

_ Why am I angry with her? She hasn’t done anything wrong… _

Sunny turned red with shame. “I’m so sorry, Constance. Let me help.”

“Actually, that’s my job. Leave it to me.”

“Stand up, Constance.” Sunny spoke firmly, though more gently this time. She took Constance’s hand and helped her up so they were facing each other.

They both had dark hair and intense dark eyes. Constance had “black blood”; that’s what they called it. Somewhere in her family’s past there was a Shadow ancestor.

But fate had made Sunny ruler of Gehenna, and Constance but her servant.

“Sit.” Sunny said, pointing to the chair by the dressing table.

“What?”

“Only if you’d like to.”

Constance frowned. Sunny hadn’t done this since she became ruler of Gehenna. She slowly walked over to the dressing table and sat with her hands by her sides, her gaze unsure.

Sunny picked up the chocolate, unwrapped it, and broke it in half. “Go on.”

“No, I couldn’t!”

“Come on, Connie. When was the last time you had chocolate?”

“Don’t call me Connie.” Still, she grinned. “Last time I found the chocolate was last year when we pinched them for that sleepover.” She looked longingly at the dark brown block, remembering. She’d considered taking another one anyway, but it hadn’t felt right to leave Sunny out of a regular scheming sleepover. “All right, just a nibble.”

_ A year ago. _ Sunny remembered that time. She remembered running to her room and stifling her laughter as she and her friends broke open a giant chocolate bar they’d found- it had been half the size of Sunny herself!

“No, not just a nibble.” She put the half slab in her friend’s palm.

They sat and ate. Sunny watched as Constance took her first bite, her smile growing as the cocoa and sugar melted in her mouth, and her giggles as she remembered that sleepover, too. 

“Okay, so now that you’ve eaten my chocolate, you owe me something.” Sunny stated.

“What the fuck? That’s not fair. I didn’t agree to that.” Constance crossed her arms grumpily. 

Sunny met her gaze with steel. “This is very important, Constance. I forbid you from saying no.” Constance reluctantly nodded.

“You must call me Sunny.” She put up a hand before Constance could realize that formalities being dropped meant she could steal her chocolate as she used to. “ _ Sunny. _ Say it.”

“Sunny.”

Then she swiped the chocolate, and they both laughed as Sunny tried to get it back.

❧

Constance stood mock-gallantly on the posts of Sunny’s bed. “You should’ve  _ seen _ it, Sunny!” She swung a silver hairbrush left and right. “Charged straight at them on the back of Jaquelyn’s horse!”

“Beatrice rode Thunder?” Sunny couldn’t believe it. “How?”

“No idea, but one minute, she was surrounded by Gabriel and his squires, and the next, they were being yeeted this way and that. I saw it all from the storeroom window where I was trapped sorting shit.” She swiped the hairbrush. “Beatrice hit Gabriel dead center, sent him flying a hundred feet in the air! I swear it’s true!” She fell back onto the bed. “It was brilliant!”

“That Beatrice’s a girl of mystery,” said Sunny. “She rode Thunder?  _ Really?” _

Constance nodded eagerly. “And you’ve seen the gargoyle with the arrow in it’s mouth? The one with the broken ear?”

“You mean Custard-Chip?”

She nodded again. “Beatrice did that.”

“They said it was a lucky shot.”

“Right after she hit a bull’s-eye? No one’s that lucky.”

“And what were you doing up so early in the courtyard?”

Constance’s face vaguely reddened. “Sue needed some fresh flour from the storeroom. It’s not my fault that’s where the squires do their training!” She grinned, though. “When it gets too hot, they disregard much of their dignity, to be honest. Sports bras and just generally no shirts are kind of common.” Her face was blank. Constance had plenty of experience hiding her true intentions.

Still, Sunny had known her since before they could walk. “Connie! I’m shocked!” She laughed, not really shocked. “You’re a woman of mystery yourself.” She leaned closer conspiratorially. “Do you have your eye on anyone in particular?”

Constance looked down, giggling shyly, guise forgotten. She leaned in, too, and whispered. “Caroline. She has a green bandana? The one who was originally from Coral lands.”

“I know who you mean.” Sunny nodded. Pretty, friendly, and had a knack for putting things together. “She’s very sweet. Good choice.”

Constance suddenly became serious. “People don’t notice servants. That doesn’t mean  _ we  _ don’t see things.”

Was that a dig at Sunny? It was true, she’d admit. There had been plenty of times when she’d forgotten that Constance had been standing behind or next to her. A shadow of a Shadow. “What is it?”

“The feast.”

“What about it?”

“I was there, Sunny. I was tasked with keeping the Baron’s flagon filled. But I was there.”

_ And no one noticed. Including me.  _

“What did you see?”

Constance looked quite displeased. “No one would believe the word of a servant girl over the son of a duke.”

“Is this about Gabriel?”

“Sunny, he’s ridiculously evil. You need to watch out.”

The Lady looked at her friend in confusion. “That doesn’t make sense. He’s just a petty fool.”

“It was the crystal cups. When you danced with his sister and the Sultanate boy.”

“What did you see? What did he do?”

“Sunny, he put something in your cup.”

She caught her breath. 

_ I told them from the beginning, and they didn’t believe me.  _

Sunshade Lilith Hecate Shadow stared. “Are you sure?”

The maiden nodded. “It was that shithead that tried to poison you.”


	19. “And Castle Gloom went on and on. Forever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so sorry I disappeared! Getting used to online learning was certainly A Thing. I’m currently working on a collection of oneshots to make up for it that I’ll try to post in succession as soon as I finish them. They’ll be much shorter than chapters, and my main focus while I get my bearings.

_ I hate this place. Really truly HATE it. _

Each and every cobweb and stone. Even the sounds it made, drafts ancient and musty out of secret vents and echoed decaying like the breaths of the dying. 

Castle Gloom was unnatural, hard, and lifeless, nothing like the world Bea had grown up in. 

Instead of a large wood of green, leaf-wrapped trees, there were endless columned corridors in dust and cold slabs of rock. Instead of soft grass and springy moss, there was hard, dead marble. Instead of sparrows, falcons, pigeons, kingfishers, crows, and a canopy filled with birds, there were bats, bats, and more bats.

Too many bats.

At one time, she might’ve thought there was no such thing.

And Castle Gloom went on and on.

Forever.

She hadn’t encountered any zombies, which was good because that meant Dhara was wrong. Dhara was a bitch. At least, when Beatrice had been home.

Bea still hadn’t found a way out, which was particularly problematic.

She’d fallen off one roof and right through another, knocking herself out in the process. She’d laid among broken beams and shattered tiles for hours, only to awake after dusk.

No sign of Gabriel or his cronies, fortunately. They must’ve seen her fall and assume she’d snapped her neck.

Bruises and cuts covered her body, but other than that she seemed undamaged. But judging by the fact she’d been knocked out, Bea decided that she’d leave the question of concussion open. However, she didn’t find any discoloration and so concluded there was no contusion.

There’d been no way to climb out of the hole in the roof, so she’d decided to explore her surroundings instead.

That was  _ hours _ ago.

Beatrice clawed through thick walls of cobwebs, wandering through corridors thick with untrodden dust. She strayed down halls where faded portraits seemed to watch her go by, moving in their frames. Once or twice, strange sounds had reverberated from some shadowy, hidden space and Bea would hurry on to the next vaulted chamber with her heart racing and hands clammy.

It was obvious by now that large sections of the castle were empty except for her and the moaning wind.

And, of course, bats. All the bats.

A slice of moonlight shone through the collapsed ceiling high overhead. Bats flew in and out of cracks in the castle walls in waves. Their wings fluttered in an uneven, frantic way as though they weren’t sure about this whole wing thing. From the young girl’s baticeer research, this was common.

Why did there have to be so many?

Bea was lonely, in pain, and starting to feel weakened with hunger. Would anyone come looking? Swishy? Old Colm? Jaquelyn? Caroline? Maybe even Lady Shadow?

_ Don’t be daft. _

No one was coming. Who’d waste their time that way?

Bea sat down, weary to her core. Everything had gone wrong. The more she tried, the worse things got.

Ever since that day she’d hunted alone in Herne’s Forest. It seemed so long ago, so far away, as though it’d happened to someone else.

Nobles would call it poaching. Bea would call it not starving.

One deer. That’s all she took. A two-year-old doe with no one near her. A useless one, cast out. She wouldn’t be missed.

She was proud of the shot. Late in the evening, with poor light and plenty of foliage in the way. A distance of over a hundred yards and she’d hit true at a target smaller than her palm.

After that? One disaster after another.

_ You know you just can’t beat them. _

Maybe she was just among the unfortunate.

_ Just give up. _

Bats circled above her, shrieking hideously.

They came and went as they pleased. In and out of the broken roof, through the vents, and into the sky.

If they could get out, so could she.

Bea gritted her teeth and rose to her feet.

She’d shove it in everyone’s face. She’d show royals who’d brought this upon her that even with their castles and magic, she had more. Jewels and shining swords meant nothing down here. Not as having the guts to do something did. They were just pompous cowards.

The roof openings were too high up, and climbing in the dark was beyond stupid. She needed a lower opening.

A break in the wall appeared in front of her. She watched as bats swooped into it.

She peered in. It was dark, but the echoes of beating wings surrounded her face.

Bea tore an old tapestry that stood next to her into strips. She bundled them around a broken chair leg and lit it aflame with a few minutes of striking her pocket flint against the floor slab. The cloth took a moment to catch, but eventually she had a smoking torch. Good for an hour or two, she reckoned.

She slipped through the crack.

She shimmied sideways and downward until she found herself in a crooked passageway. She passed tall, black statues of hooded men, horned demons, and skull-faced women. The stone creaked, and Bea’s heart sped up. 

Where was she? Below the foundations of the castle? The walls were crude, bare rock, and the chambers were natural caves rather than brick-built halls.

The floor was pitted with shallow pools and boulders. Stalactites hung like sharp, fine, huge needles with bases larger than oak tree trunks.

Bats swooped among them.

_ They must live here. _

The air trembled. A breeze, strong and earthy with the smell of damp fur, blew over her, causing the smoking torch flame to waver.

Something above her hissed. It let out a long, waking breath that made the hairs on the back of Beatrice’s neck rise.

A shape moved overhead.

Bea lifted her torch.

The light shone on one of the huge spikes of dark stone above her. Water trickled down over its folds and creases, but Bea saw it move. Bristles stood up along it, and it shook.

_ That sure as fuck isn’t a stalactite. _

It unfurled its sail-sized wings. The creature shivered and droplets of water rained down on the girl. 

The wings kept opening. A dozen feet wide and not even halfway open. Then twenty or more.

Bea moved behind a boulder, hunter-quiet, her eyes never leaving the waking monster.

Blank eyes opened. A mouth widened to reveal saber-like fangs. Its fetid breath stank of death. It snappet its jaws, swallowing a host of smaller bats in one bite. It sniffed the air through its flared nostrils.

Stalagmites had begun to form upon it, long strands of limestone that cracked and splintered as the great beast loosened itself. How long had it slept to become encased in such a way? Decades? Centuries?

It jumped down. Despite its immense size, it landed with barely a sound and lapped water from a pool.

Bea stood, staring, utterly motionless. The fur on its body was spiked like pine needles, and the wings were oily black and lined with veins.

Thirst quenched, it raised its head and searched with a high-pitched shriek.

_ Echolocation. _ She realized.  _ It’s still hungry. _

Snacking on small bats wasn’t going to help it, not after a long hibernation. Bea crouched a little lower in her hiding place. The bat was big enough to swallow her whole twice over.

The monster beat its wings. The leathery skins slapped like sails catching the wind.

_ It needs to get out and hunt. _

But how? The bat was gigantic. Its body was over a dozen feet long, and each wing stretched at least fifty. The bat turned around, its ears twisting in all directions. Beatrice could see long, old scars through the fur on its back.

_ It’s looking for a path to the sky. _

The bat’s attention locked onto a deep, crooked tear in the chamber’s ceiling.

Was that an opening?

The bat flapped its wings and rose to its claw tips. Bea was a few feet behind it. Her heart beat like it had never beaten before. She was terrified and yet thrilled. The bat shrieked again, louder and clearer. It was a declaration.

_ This has to be the stupidest plan of all time. _

_ But stupid is better than none. _

She had to decide right now. Stay and find her own way out…

...or hitch a ride?

The bat beat its wings harder and hovered a few feet off the ground.

_ It’s leaving. _

_ It’s now or never. _

Bea leaped on just as the bat launched upward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I love you, you get a cliffhanger. Stay safe everyone! Socially distance!


	20. “The wind tore again at Beatrice’s face, biting cold and fresh and free.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have returned! I'll try to stick to the original posting schedule.

Bea dug her fingers into the bat’s fur as she was slammed against it, and hung on for dear life.

The bat shot upward, toward the small cracks of fading light.

Bea screamed as it swooped and dove through the chamber, along the ceiling and between the jagged stalactites.

_ This is insane. This was an insane idea. I’m insane. _

The bat threw itself in wild directions, tumbling and spinning as it tried to get her off. Bea squished herself against the hairy back, inevitably forcing her face into the thick, stinking fur to stay on.

Faster and faster it raced along secret paths through underground halls and caverns. It shrieked, and Bea heard the thundering echoes of it’s voice. Sometimes they hit her instantly, and sometimes it returned after a few seconds to indicate the distance of the walls.

Bea hung on, listening and praying.

Then, suddenly, the echoes didn’t return.

Bea opened her eyes. She saw an indigo expanse with orangey clouds and a bright gold just beneath the horizon. 

Sky. It was sky.

She had time only to gasp as the creature burst out of the opening. It accelerated with every beat of its massive, now fully unfurled, wings.

Bea’s heart filled her throat as the bat flapped, rising higher and higher toward the moon.

Could she fly all the way there? It was a wild thought that the monster didn’t seem to like, because before she could urge it on, it peaked, arched backward, and tucked in its wings.

Everything paused, as the universe held its breath.

Then they plummeted back toward the earth.

Bea gripped the fur tighter, feeling the bat’s heartbeat was just as fast as her own. Fast enough to burst with the sheer thrill of it all. The ground rushed to greet them.

Then the bat threw out its wings to skim over the trees, claws brushing the tops.

_ Wait- trees? _

_ Spindlewood! We’ve come out of Spindlewood. _

Could she fly all the way home? Over the woods and sea, away from the setting sun. Jaquelyn couldn’t catch her here. She was faster now than the icy wind that bit her face. Stour was somewhere to the east…

But her mount decided against it, having better places to be. Moments later, they swooped over Castle Gloom. They dove past the battlements and petrified soldiers, flying effortlessly between spindly towers and smoking chimney pots.

The wind tore again at Beatrice’s face, biting cold and fresh and  _ free. _

With a twitch of its left wing, the bat banked toward the royal animal pens. A stench hung over the large courtyard. The pigs were laying in a central patch of thick mud, the cows in sheds, and the sheep roaming within a fenced square.

The bat hissed, then plunged.

It splintered the fence and piled into the panic-stricken flock.

For the second time that day, Bea was yeeted from her mount. She fell among the sheep, reducing the world to spinning sky, hooves, and smelly wool. The sheep were now panicking, and one gifted her with a kick in the head as it scrambled.

“Get off me!”

The sheep weren’t listening. They trampled over her, eyes wide with terror as they surged toward the gap in the shattered fence.

Bruised, bloody, exhausted, and with a mouthful of wool, Bea let herself collapse.

_ I just rode a hugeass fucking bat. _

She grinned.

_ I bet high-and-mighty Gabriel Fuckhead hasn’t done anything like that. _

Then a sour, troubling thought bubbled up.

_ Giant bat. Giant  _ hungy  _ bat. _

_ Sheep. _

_ Shit. _

Still groggy and jelly-legged, Bea struggled to her feet. 

A sheep bleated before the bat sank its fangs into the woolen body. It lifted the prey and devoured it whole.

Then, suddenly, the sky was filled with wings.

Bats poured from every doorway, chimney, vent, and crack. They rose from the broken roofs of abandoned buildings, a full cloud from Witch’s Tower. Not in the thousands, but in the millions.

Bea watched in awe as they circled above the giant bat, an ebony, fluttering halo. All animals had a pecking order- an alpha, a top dog. A leader. But she’d never seen anything even remotely like this.

_ They’ve come to greet their king _

The giant bat ripped the head off another sheep to start eating it.

House Shadow’s soldiers came running to the rescue, spears and crossbows aimed and faces pale with horror.

Bea ran before them, suddenly re-energized, hands raised. “Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!”

They aimed for the bat.

“Don’t shoot! Please!” Bea shoved one of the soldiers back.

The bat turned to face the soldiers, widening its mouth to reveal its bloody fangs while hissing out a warning. It swatted a pair of spearmen aide with a flick of its wings as though they were flies.

“Put your weapons away!” A clear female voice yelled, frantic. A girl raced across the flagstones, waving furiously. “Lower your weapons!”

Spears dropped and fingers left crossbow triggers. The bat, with no regard to the humans, decided to pick out his third sheep.

Lady Shadow stopped as she arrived, panting and flushed. “So, Beatrice”- she stared at the bat, her eyes moon-wide- “who’s your new companion?”


	21. “She was the ruler of Gehenna- and the Lady Shadow wouldn’t be bound by her advisors’ expectations.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternately titled: screaming at everyone for an entire chapter

“His name is Hades,” Sunny pointed to the name written on the wrinkled page of an old family diary they'd found. She could barely contain her excitement. It hadn’t even been a full hour since the Snicket girl had flown in, and now she sat at the desk in her study with the aforementioned Snicket girl, Old Colm, Jaquelyn, and Olaf gathered around it. “It means lord of the underworld.”

“That sounds about right.” Bea responded.

Sunny tapped the small leather-bound book. “This diary belonged to Faustus Shadow, my great-great-grandfather. Hades was his pet, and his guinea pig, apparently.”

Bea looked confused. “Pet? And what do you mean, guinea pig?”

“Faustus was an alchemist. He experimented on Hades. Growth potion, we knew, but apparently he extended his life span, too.” She turned to another page. “Faustus even rode Hades into battle. It says right here that he disappeared a hundred and twenty years ago and everyone assumed he died when he evidently just went into hibernation..”

Old Colm sat tapping his wooden leg on the stone floor. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you, troll?” He told Bea, not exactly ecstatic at her discovery.

Olaf dabbed his sweaty forehead. “That monster ate twelve sheep. Twelve! We’ll have to buy more. Susan will be furious!” He helped himself to his third glass of wine in as many minutes.

“Where’s Hades now, Master Colm?” Sunny ignored her guardian’s prattling.

“Murk Hall, m’lady. It seems he wanted a nap.” He turned to Bea, growling. “What happened, troll? How did you get there?”

“I got lost,” she replied nonchalantly.

Old Colm grimaced. “I heard you got in a fight with the Solar boy. Is that true?”

“Rumors aren’t always true, sir. I just got lost looking for the privy.”

_ That’s absolutely a lie. _

She knew it and so did everyone else.

“That’ll be all,” Olaf decided. “You may go, Master Colm. And you- girl?”

Bea nodded, as was expected of her. 

“Get someone down here with more wine. You may go.”

Sunny considered stopping him from gaining more alcohol, but decided the idea of him having alcohol poisoning wasn’t a bad one.

“What about my bat?” Bea asked, already up.

“The monster is too dangerous. Today it ate sheep. That cost us enough. It might eat a village child next time! Or, the Six forbid, one of the Solars?”

“Like Gabriel?” Sunny’s face shone with hopefulness. That is, until she caught Olaf’s look of unamusement. She glared back before slightly sinking down in her chair.

_ Fucking hell. _

“Which would be  _ absolutely _ tragic.” She added. No one missed the sarcastic edge to her tone.

“Kill the beast!” Olaf declared. “Jacquelyn, deal with it.”

Jacquelyn’s gaze was stony.

“You’re not hurting my bat,” Bea stepped up to the executioner.

Jacquelyn merely looked down at her, a subtle smile on her face.

Sunny smiled at Beatrice’s bravery- and her stupidity. The squire likely couldn’t stop the executioner, they both knew.

“Hades is one of the family,” Sunny said. “We Shadows take care of our own.”

Olaf looked quite angry, but she didn’t notice.

Bea curtseyed. “Thank you so much, m’lady.”

Sunny smiled at such genuineness, as she hadn’t seen much in the nobles she was forced to comply with. Bea was trying hard to act properly, and Sunny noticed. She returned the girl’s politeness with a small curtsey. “You’re welcome. There’s plenty of information in the diary on Hades’ care. You and I can go through it later.”

Bea smiled and nodded, and then turned away.

And with that, Old Colm and Bea left.   
Olaf slammed the door, glaring at Sunny. “You stay away from that girl.” He growled, his greasy face revoltingly close to hers. “She’s nothing but trouble.”

“Well, someone needs to be on her side!” Sunny stood and stepped back, crossing her arms, just as fierce. 

“What does that mean?” He was evidently careful to not call her anything, not with Jacquelyn so close.

“I won’t let Gabriel hurt her. It’s that simple.” She hissed.

“Gabriel Solar is a fool,” Jacquelyn suddenly declared. “If the Snicket girl can’t outwit him, then she is really of no use to anyone.”

Olivia smiled. “That sounded almost like a compliment!”

“She’s got many useful qualities. And she’s quite likeable.”

“Useful qualities?” Sunny repeated, her quarrel with Olaf put on standby. This was too much fun. The whole castle was in uproar. Every single Shadow squire wanted to be Bea’s best friend. It was like a swarm of wasps. “She just rode in on a giant bat. I think that counts as rather fantastic, don’t you?” Her smile was dropped quickly. “Still, we can deal with Miss Snicket and Hades later.” She looked around the room, making sure only the people she wished to be in attendance were. “I want to talk about what Constance told me. She saw Gabriel put poison in my cup! What more proof do we need?”

Olaf groaned, rolling his eyes as though he were a child. “This again? You can’t be serious.”

Sunny nodded. “This is about the Solars trying to take over Gehenna, Uncle. I’m very serious.” She could never let that happen- hurt her people like that. She’d already heard of Solars hiring stonemasons to put windows in. 

She’d be remembered as the Shadow who let light into Castle Gloom- and ended the reign of the Shadows forever at the same time.

“Sunny, be reasonable. Why would Gabriel want, or need, to do that?”

“Because I humiliated him. Besides, she.  _ Saw. _ Him. She’s an eyewitness. Why is that so hard for you to wrap your head around?”

“Who knows what that silly girl saw?” Olaf raged.

“She does. She’s the one who saw it happen, dumbfuck. She had no reason to lie.” Sunny was done playing nice.

“Really? The word of a mere servant against the heir of Lumina? No one would believe her. If the duke was here, he’d demand she be whipped for her impertinence.”

“Well, the duke isn’t here. This is the word not of any servant, but the only person I’ve been able to trust since I was put in your care. It is both her word and mine, the current ruler of Gehenna, against Gabriel Motherfucking Solar.” Of course this was an exaggeration. She trusted a few others, too. “I don’t see why her word means less than that shithead’s or anyone else’s when it’s the truth. She’s never lied. Gabriel is evil. We know this. He evidently tried to poison me, and he tried to have Beatrice killed. Multiple squires have come forward with the account that Gabriel and his posse were chasing her with knives!”

Olaf scoffed. “I told you, the Snicket girl is nothing but trouble.”

“That’s not the point! Stop avoiding the glaring issue here!” Sunny yelled, her anger filling her. Her vision was reddening, as was her face.

Jacquelyn shook her head, cool as ever. “Gabriel is not the poisoner.”

“And why not?” Sunny challenged.

“He doesn’t have the guile.”

“Are you sure?”

“That’s my job, m’lady. I’ve been watching him, and can now safely rule out the prospect that he is a suspect.”

“How dare you commence investigation without authorization?” Olaf screeched.

“I didn’t investigate anything, sir. It is perfectly within my rights to observe whomever I choose.”

“She’s right,” Sunny said. They all knew the rules.

Olaf folded his arms, considering. “Then who is this mysterious poisoner?”

“The man I’ve been hunting for the last five months. The sixth brigand.”

It was as if a cold hand had seized Sunny’s lungs, squeezing the breath out of her. The pain grew every second as she drowned in the agony of her family's deaths, the wound reopened. Her eyes darted across the room, and met a tiny glint of steel.

Olaf swallowed his wine. “He must be long gone by now, obviously.”

Sunny’s hands were shaking as she tried to focus on the steel. Despite the crushing tightness in her chest, she forced herself to speak. “Six men were responsible for my parents and brother. We found five.” Her voice trembled. “Let Jacquelyn finish.” 

“Your father’s carriage was ambushed in the Spindlewoods. Why would the brigands choose it? There is little traffic in that part of the wood. There’s little to no chance any travellers would come that they could loot. There are better places. Better places with richer pickings.” Jacquelyn met her gaze. She’d been loyal to the Shadows, though better at hiding her emotions and motives than anyone else there. But even Sunny could see the pain in her eyes. They’d worked together, in hushed tones and behind closed doors- things her parents kept from her and Klaus. She turned away.

Jacquelyn continued. “They were there on purpose. Not to rob, but to kill the Shadows. No mere brigand would risk taking on sorcerers as your family. It would have been someone… special, per se.”

Sunny whipped around. “You’re saying they were assassins?” Her eyes flashed with something strange as the idea sunk in. A kind of confusion mixed with murderous rage and vested interest filled her. “A special kind? But you caught and killed five. That doesn't sound very special.”

“I suspect five were pawns. Merely hired hands.The sixth, though… he was injured by an arrow as he escaped. We searched Spindlewood with troops and hounds,but he left no mark. That’s not easy to do.”

The executioner paused, hands resting on her sword hilt. “The shadows were heavier in the candlelight deepening the intense look on her face. “I’ve spent months searching, and still, I’ve found nothing. No one has ever evaded me for so long.”

“It was sloppy of you to let him get away in the first place.” Olaf’s hands tightened around the goblet, now that there was no more wine to be poured. “I gave you extra men to make sure they were dealt with properly.”

Everyone ignored him. “You think the sixth brigand and our poisoner are one and the same?” Sunny asked.

Jacky didn;t answer immediately; she seemed to be weighing her response. Sunny knew she hated to guess. “Most likely. He’d have to lie low for a couple of months to recover from his arrow wound, and now he’s back to finish the job. Remember, m’lady, you were meant to be killed, too. You were thought to be in that carriage as well.”

Olaf placed a hand on her lower back, to which she flinched away and scooched her chair closer to her executioner. “Enough, Jacquelyn. Can’t you see you’re upsetting her?”

“No, it’s alright. I need to know this.” Sunny stared at her hands, clenched tightly into fists. “I want to help. I want to know who this man is. I should-”

He squeezed her shoulder, causing her to scooch even closer to Jacky. “Leave this to the executioner, Sunny.”

“They’re  _ my  _ family. I owe this to them. Can’t you see that?”

He turned away from her. “How close is he?”

“Close enough to poison the feasting goblets in the Great Hall, at least. I’ve been questioning some servants…” 

They were ignoring her. It was always  _ sit back and let the adults handle this _ , never  _ we’ll at least explain to you what we need you to do and why. _ And certainly not  _ we’ll let you help because it was  _ your  _ family and you’re the person most directly affected by our actions. _

She was done with these rules. She was the ruler of Gehenna- and the Lady Shadow wouldn’t be bound by her advisors’ expectations.

After five months, she thought her heart had started to heal, but hearing about the man responsible for killing her loved ones had torn it apart again. She  _ had _ to find him, but she knew no adult in this castle would lend her any help.

_ It’s time to stop playing by the rules. _

So she needed to break them.

Starting with the biggest one of all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ramadan Kareem everyone! And I’m sorry I forgot to post earlier- I’ll try to get more on schedule.


	22. "How do you think Mother did it?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for disappearing! I was working forever on a new chapter and ran into a few roadblocks before discovering I already had this chapter finished because I'm big dumb at the moment. But I'm going to try to return to our biweekly posting schedule this week, now that I have all the resources I need.

The next evening, Sunny took Beatrice and Duncan off on a tour of Castle Gloom.

They started with a secret doorway behind a statue of Baron Moloch Shadow, standing at the head of the hidden Corridor of Woe

Beatrice peered down the unlit passageway. “Why am I thinking this is a bad idea?”

Duncan looked, too, nodding. “Because it’s a very bad idea.”

Sunny glanced back at them. “Don’t tell me you’re scared? It’s most unbecoming of a young royal and fire mage to be afraid. And riding a giant bat  _ and _ advocating for its life to one of the most feared executioners in the world basically guarantees fearlessness.”

Duncan straightened his robes. “Well, it’s unbecoming of a young ruler to emotionally manipulate people into doing her bidding.”

“How do you think Mother did it?” Sunny shot back.

“Whatever.” Bea interjected. “He’s scared. I’m apprehensive.”

Sunny huffed. “Fine. But I need to find this poisoner, and I need you two to help me do it.” Her fingers clasped around a small skeleton key hanging from her neck.

“Are you sure it’s not Gabriel?” Bea asked. “He’s a louse.”

“Jacky’s convinced it’s this sixth brigand. Whoever he is.”

So down they went, their way lit by multicolored flames on Duncan’s fingertips.

“So what are we doing here, apart from getting covered in cobwebs?” asked Duncan, repeatedly brushing his cloak.

“Breaking the rules.” Sunny replied curtly.

“I figured as such. Which rules, exactly?”

“You’ll see.” They stopped in a small chamber while Sunny tried to figure out which way to go. Bea listened at a door. “Can you hear that?”

“Uh-huh…”  _ Which arch is it? The first, second, or third? _

“It’s just- I hear something in there.” She reached for the door handle.

“Don’t.” Sunny pulled the squire’s hand away. “That’s the Hall of Forgetfulness. Going in there would be a very bad thing indeed.”

“Why?”

“I can’t remember.” She led them down a long corridor, and turned a corner that looked ancient. They stopped in front of a pair of huge doors. Two beautifully deadly demons swirled in the doors, death always in their eyes. They greeted Sunny with polite nods, as best they could do in doors.

“The Shadow Library?” Duncan’s eyes darkened. “Sunny, this better not be what I think it is.”

Sunny glared at the boy. “This is the only way I can figure out what’s going on here. This library is the only thing that’ll give us information. I  _ have _ to protect Gehenna, and I  _ have _ to avenge Klaus and my parents!” Something flashed through her face, a powerful and unreadable expression. “The only way to do that is to learn magic.” She pointed at Duncan. “And  _ you _ are going to teach me.”

Bea looked aghast. “Are you  _ insane? _ ”

Sunny shrugged. “Feral. There’s a difference. Besides,” she bared the sharp teeth she’d had since childhood. “You were the one who advised me to break rules!”

“Break rules, not disrupt the order of the universe itself!” Bea cried indignantly. “I’m already in enough trouble. My uncle said-”

“Shut up about your uncle!” Sunny laughed, her grin so much more than wicked. It was pure chaos. “Or else you  _ will _ have to stay here for a year!”

“What do you mean?” Bea responded, skeptical.

“I’m Lady Shadow. I can give you a sack of silver and a ship promised safe passage home if you help me.”

“But Jaquelyn-”

“Jaquelyn works for me. Are you in or not?”

Bea exhaled, smiling mischievously. “Of course! The order of the universe was chaos from the start, anyway.”

Sunny high-fived her. “The offer stands for you, too, Duncan. Unless you’ve gotten comfortable as the Solars’ prisoner.”

“I- I gave Solar my word. I won’t escape.” The boy was grim. “They’d catch me before I’d even gone a mile, anyway.”

Sunny’s eyes glinted with the same mischief that was in Bea’s smile. “They don’t know the secret ways out of Gehenna. This is my country, and I can pull some strings leading to most people conveniently turning their eyes away.”

“I don’t know…” He sighed. “I gave my word.”

“Is your honor really that important?”

He looked as though she’d struck him across the face. “It’s all I have.”

She moved closer to him, looking into his stricken eyes with her determined, fiery ones. “It’s all you have right now, when you’re away from your home. But I can provide something much more significant: freedom.”

He nodded hesitantly, his frown never leaving his face. “Okay…”

_ We’re all the same, and we all have the same goal. Home. _


	23. "Sunny, what've you done?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not sure why i thought of drumstick for druid but i did

Pulling a skeleton key from the chain around her neck, Sunny pushed it into the lock. The doors swung open, and a lattice of black roses greeted them. She placed a hand on one of the flowers, and it shrunk back. Perhaps it was Castle Gloom responding to her touch. Perhaps it was the magic within her that forced them to wither. Or, quite simply, it might’ve just been her hand.

The room they stepped into was pitch black. Duncan didn’t seem to like it much, immediately lighting his fingers with flame, sending small darts of fire to the various candelabras and lighting the room a bit.

There were bookshelves as far as the eye could see, and then some. Where they stood, statues circled them. Six statues- one for each of the six princes.

Prince Typhoon’s lower half was encircled in cyclone and his face was surrounded by sculpted swirls of wind. A pair of eagle’s wings grew from his shoulders. His silken looking robes seemed to flow with the air he conjured and a hawk sat on his shoulder. Stone birds of all types flew around him, and a breeze of leaves led to a tree. 

It was tall and lush, and seemed to be surrounded by many of the same, forming a clearing. Grass and fern encircled the feet of the next Prince, and an obsidian unicorn fed on them on the side farther from Typhoon. Antlers grew from his hair and his skin was rough and barklike. Prince Herne’s hand was outstretched in the direction of his brother’s magic, feeding the leaves into the breeze. Behind him was a splendid waterfall that led into a river that wound past the unicorn and down to pool at the feet of the next prince.

Waves rushed upwards, curling outward as Prince Coral emerged from the center. His tail flicked at the foam, sending it near to his crown. Dolphins flanked his either side. A trident in his one hand caused clouds to swirl and change shape, twirling over the scene and to his opposing younger brother.

The steam turned to smoke as it billowed around the fiery inferno of the next Prince. He seemed to bask in the flame, a large fireball halfway on the fingertips of Prince Djinn. Duncan was in awe.

The fireball’s other half hovered over someone else’s fingertips- Prince Solar. The light that shined out of the halo and behind the man curled beside him, walling off his twin from the rest of the brothers from one side. He seemed to smile with wicked brightness- Shadow sculptors didn’t play around.

This was evident seeing that Lord Malekith Shadow had loved sculpting. He’d worked on the last Prince- his very own Prince Shadow.

Shadow’s statue was immensely intricate- all manner of dead followed the powerful prince. He had a look of foreboding, fearsomeness, and nobleness all at the same time. Malekith had enchanted the statue, so the shadows caused by Solar’s wall shifted gracefully around him, and a circlet floated around his head magically. The undead twitched around him- souls residing within it.Tendrils of darkness mingled with the breezes of Prince Typhoon. 

In this way, all six Great Houses were connected. 

She’d never been here before. It was a place of magic- not for her. She’d always been envious of Klaus when Bertrand would take him there for a lesson and lock the rest of the world out. There were secrets within these walls that only father and son could know.

Until now.

As they moved farther, Duncan blew gently on his palm. Many small sparks reached back, catching on torches and candelabras. Waves of illumination stood before them. How far back did the library reach? She had no clue.

Bea gazed up in delight. “The Six Princes! Mom used to tell us stories of the bravery and awareness of Prince Herne.”

Duncan laughed. “That’s nothing compared to Prince Djinn. He could turn the sky red with flame!”

Sunny scoffed. “Obviously Prince Shadow was the best. His wholeass original nation _still_ stands and the seven-foot-tall residents still live there as ghosts, according to stories. And there were a fuckton of them!”

The statues were over seventy feet tall. They were not human seeming, bud godlike. The ancient founders of the six Great Houses of Magic were the first sorcerers the world had ever known, and the most powerful.

“I’ve never seen anything like this…” Bea drank in the sight with delight. She’d read about it, sure, but she’d never seen it. 

“They were brothers, right? The children of a barbarian High King and his elf wife?”

“She wasn’t an elf. She was the daughter of a demon lord,” said Sunny.

“You’re both wrong!” Duncan interrupted. “She was a desert spirit. She was trapped in a bottle and he freed her and they fell in love. And she passed her magic to her sons! _That’s_ the truth.”

“Coral probably said she was a mermaid.” Sunny shrugged. “Point is, she came from the otherworld, a place of pure magic.”

Bea just shook her head in wonder.

Sunny and Duncan continued to explain it to Bea. Their heritage had been drummed into their every waking moment. She pointed to the statue of the avian prince. “This is Prince Typhoon, master of the element of air. His descendants are wind lords who live in the far east- beyond the Eagle Mountains.”

“And that’s Herne!” Bea said excitedly, glad to recognize one. “They say he’s still alive, sleeping ina deep cave guarded by a black unicorn.”

“So they say.” Duncan replied. “Herne was never one for formal traditions, and neither are his descendants. Druids, right?”

Bea nodded. Generally, such remarks could be taken offensively. But he was right- it was common knowledge that Herne cast out tradition. Some of the only words preserved from his time were his own- words denouncing societal rules and traditional conformity.

“We have one in Stour. If you have a sick animal, ol’ Drumstick is the first person you’d go to.” She smiled wistfully. “No grand palaces or castles for the druids. They choose to sleep in the meadows instead.” Although if they wanted one, their people wouldn’t exactly be able to stop them. They were not unified. They were poor and starving- anyone could very easily take advantage of that.

“That’s Prince Coral, with the element of water.” Duncan said, moving to the next one. “And this is my ancestor, Prince Djinn. He founded the Sultanate of Fire, to the south of Gehenna.” 

Bea gazed up at each statue in turn wearing a look of wonder. 

Sunny glared at one statue. “That one’s Solar,” her expression turned to one of awe and respect as the final one came into view. “And this is my forefather, Prince Shadow. He is the founder of my House- my family.”

Of course, you know all of this. I explained it to you at the beginning. But young Beatrice wasn’t in that chapter- she didn’t know.

Bea stared at the majestic statue. “It seems like they meant the world to be united.” She didn’t wonder why it wasn’t. The Princes, though powerful sorcerers, were still humans. They were human men who couldn’t fight off the greed that came with being human. They couldn’t settle with equal rule, and so they stayed separate. 

No one commented. 

“So…” Bea began awkwardly, “since we’re here, can you teach me some magic, too? Obviously after Sunny’s done and stuff. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or anything.” She was grasping at straws at this point. But she really did want to learn magic. 

“Sorry, Bea.” Duncan said, sounding genuinely very sad. “You have to be a direct descendant of one of the Princes to do magic- you have to have their blood. It also dictates which kind of magic you create. I can only do fire magic because I’m a descendant of Prince Djinn, and Sunny’s only able to do dark magic because she’s a descendant of Prince Shadow.”

“But what if Sunny does end up having to marry Gabriel?” Bea asked. “That’s light and darkness.”

Sunny paled at the thought. “There’s no way I’d consent to providing him with an heir! But one type would dominate- you can never have both.”

“And it’ll never guarantee if you can actually do magic. Olaf can’t, and he’s distantly related to Sunny.” Duncan added.

“The blood’s been diluted too much- it runs thin. Each generation is weaker than the last.” Sunny said. 

Duncan wove flames between his fingers again- a nice party trick. “This is the best I can do. My ancestors could reduce entire countries to ash.

It was similar for Sunny. The Shadows were once masters of the undead, but it had been decades since anyone had attempted to summon even one ghost or zombie. Her father had tried once, and it had wiped him out for a week. Bertrand Shaadow knew three spells, and Klaus knew two. That was considered a lot now, but the ancients would’ve known _thousands_.

Sunny looked up at Prince Shadow. What would he make of their day’s sorcerers?

_He’d think we were ants._

They moved past the circle and farther into the heart of the library.

The Shadow Library housed not only books, but a great many objects. Armor, weapons, crates of random knick knacks, and crates that didn’t open at all.

Bea picked up a sword of black iron. “This is nice.”

Sunny barely glanced at it. “It’s the Sword of Midnight, or so it’s supposed to be. Prince Shadow used it to cut time into three creating past, present, and future.”

“Cool. Does it work?”

“Nope. It’s a fake. You can keep it, if you want.”

“Great!” Bea attached the sheath that was next to it to the belt of her skirt.

Sunny picked up a crown, “Most of this stuff is. Fake, that is, not great. Olaf wasted so much money on these things, trying to find something magical. He bought it all from swindlers and cheats. Olivia verified the falseness of every item, but he kept buying more.” Until they’d threatened his life by making him immediate prey.

Eventually the trio reached a circular chamber with a large table and plenty of space around it.

“This should be fine.” Duncan decided, before looking up. When he did, he paled and looked very afraid. “I didn’t expect to find _him_ here.”

The painting on the ceiling covered the whole central chamber. It was of a fearsome-looking man, armored and masked.

Zombies, skeletons, ghouls, and ghosts surrounded him, writhing in torment. Behind him were ruined cities, and the skies were a storm of howling spirits.

“Who’s that?” Asked Bea, stricken with a feeling of dread that increased the more she looked at that awful mask.

“Astaroth Shadow,” Sunny explained. “Many of the horror stories you’ve heard about our family originate from him.”

“He was misunderstood, too, though?” Bea asked, though she knew from the painting that she was wrong.

“No. He was pure evil. He raised armies of the dead, turning cities into graveyards. All thanks to his mask.” She gazed up at it. Carved from black stone, it was plain, but coldly elegant. The mouth was partly opened into a sneer of contempt and the eyes titled in a cruel, hateful frown. There was a plague doctor-style beak, just for added effect.

“What did it do?” Bea asked.

“I’ve been told he based the mask on the face of Prince Shadow himself, evidently adding the beak for aesthetic purposes. In this, he gained some of our founder’s power which, when coupled with his own fearsome power was unstoppable.” Sunny explained.

_His blood flows through me. His deeds taint my past._

_But he was one of the greatest of my family._

Pride and shame mingled uneasily in her heart.

Duncan stared at the image, his face displaying a rage and fear none of them had seen before. “It took all five other Great Houses to defeat him.

Sunny continued, disregarding it. “With the mask, even a common farmer could be a great sorcerer. Greater than any right now, anyway.”

“So that’s that, then.” Bea said, with an odd finality. “Just get the mask, and the job’s done.”

“No.” Sunny told her. “It’s like a parasite- it’ll prey on your worst fears and darkest secrets, twisting you to be as he was. And besides, it was destroyed many centuries ago.”

Duncan led her to a clear space. “Okay. Stand here and close your eyes.”

“Should I be doing anything? Helping in any way?” Bea asked, watching from beside them.

“Not with this, no.” Duncan responded. “Except maybe take a step back.”

Bea did as she was told, as did Sunny respectively. “What am I trying to do, exactly?”

“Magic is an art, not a craft. It’s born of the heart, not the mind. It’s passion and desire, pain and weapon. Rage, too. It depends on how you use it.”

“But shouldn’t we study spellbooks? That’s why we’re in the library.” At least, that’s how Father and Klaus had done it, she assumed.

“That would take too long. This is not about copying another’s work or method- it’s about creating your own.” He stood close, whispering from behind. He whispered instinctually when it came to magic- he had to teach his younger brother some time ago. He stood behind her, so as to not interrupt the passage of magic meant to come from before her- from her hands. “You’re Lady Shadow; your element is darkness and all that dwells within. There are shadows, of course, but there are other things, too. The spirits of the dead. Dreams, nightmares, sleep, and the creatures of the night. And the moon- it’s yours, too.”

“There’s too much.” Sunny responded. “I don’t know where to begin.”

“Pick one thing to focus on.”

“Would Castle Gloom work?”

“Good choice.”

The castle was darkness made solid. No natural light had entered it since the day Prince Shadow had built it. The corridors recalled her family’s every footstep. The stone walls in the bedrooms had absorbed the dreams of every single Shadow. 

How many members of her family had been born here? Almost all of them. Her own birthing cries had once filled this castle. Did it remember?

Things had been buried here- not just the dead, but memories too. And secrets. And sorrows.

Sorrows most of all.

_I never got to say goodbye._

_I saw them and passed them by without a word of care. If only I’d said something to Klaus on that day. Or even just smiled at him. He was my brother and I loved him and never told him._

Just a simple hug would’ve made all the difference.

The next time she’d seen him, he’d been burnt beyond recognition, lying under a dark, embroidered shroud.

Had they even wanted her? Her parents treated her like their own, but they were more focused on other things. Bertrand’s priority had been to prepare Klaus, and Beatrice’s to support her husband. Sunny felt like she’d been put on a backburner- as much as her family loved her, she’d never measure up to Klaus. She’d never be more than little Sunny, the kid that scampered through the halls while her parents and brother made the world perfect for everyone else.

She wasn’t angry at them, but at herself. She couldn’t be that great- she was mediocre in comparison. 

Her hands tightened into fists.

They’d dressed her in silks and given her jewels and dolls, and supported her interest in cooking. And yet, she’d always been ungrateful. Ungrateful and imperfect. She’d never done anything to repay them- she’d never be able to repay what they’d given her.

The only one who made her feel like she didn’t owe him anything, like she was worth his affection, was Ink.

Glimmering black and only as long as her forearm, her parents’ friend Monty had given him to her when he’d first tamed the snake. He was always hungry, and she fed him from her own plate. He wore her bedposts down with his climbing and stricken fear into the hearts of her enemies with his fierce protectiveness.

Now he was gone, too.

He died as he lived- protecting her. 

What if she’d drunk the poison?

Ink. What a silly name for a viper, and yet how fitting it was.

She heard a startled breath. Was it Duncan?

She kept her eyes closed. Monty had let her choose from his collection of reptiles- it was meant to be shared between her and Klaus. He’d decided his sister should choose, because he knew she’d bond with the reptile more than him. All the others were bright and beautiful and loud- but not Ink. He’d been timid when she first met him, watching her only when she didn’t look at him. He’d seen too much at such a young age then. 

Maybe that was why she was so drawn to him- he was in need of a companion, as she was. 

She loved his lil hissing- she could hear it so clearly, even so long after his death.

“By the Six…” Duncan whispered, astonished. “Sunny, look!”

She wiped her eyes on her sleeve- she hadn’t even realized she was crying- and opened them.

A gray mist swirled slowly on the black stone surface. There was something inside the mist- an animal. Not flesh and blood, but it had heart and a voice. And a forked tongue that flicked out every now and again, observing its strange, new situation. The snake met Sunny’s gaze and excitedly began hissing and slithering in fast circles the way he always did.

“A ghost.” Bea said quietly, stunned. “I can’t believe it.”

“Inky…” Sunny knelt, tears forming again in her eyes. Oh, how she’d missed him! “Can I touch him?” She asked, unsure.

“Try!” Duncan encouraged.

She reached out.

“Sunny!”

Olaf stood by the door, staring at them, horrified with his sword in his hands. Then he gritted his teeth and ran forward.

 _“No!”_ Sunny screamed. It was a heartbroken, soul-shattering scream.

The sword crashed down on the table and the mist fell away, leaving nothing behind.

Her guardian gazed at the empty table, shaking in rage. “Sunny, what’ve you done?”


	24. “You can’t have friends, maybe, but a good ruler always has powerful allies.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a bit of violence in this chapter that may be a trigger for some people- the extent of it is the dinner scene from ASOUE's first book, and Olaf almost strikes Sunny. This lasts the whole chapter, so if you want, you can skip it. You won't miss a substantial amount.

“Have you ever seen a person burn?” Olaf whispered. “Have you?”

Sunny shook her head, terrified.

“They say the smoke suffocates you before the heat is too much. That’s not true.”

Bea and Duncan were forced out of the library with her, and ushered by Olaf in the other direction. He’d bellowed at whatever servants were there to leave and pushed ones that weren’t fast enough out of the way.

He grabbed Sunny by the wrist and dragged her to her room. He threw her in, and she landed on the ground with a wince. She looked at him, terrified.

He seemed even more scared, but not in the way she felt it. He looked scared, but not out of concern for her or himself but for something much more sinister. “I saw them. A child much younger than you, Sunny, and her father. He was reduced to ash in seconds, but I saw her. She was sobbing and screaming and there were blisters all over her visible side.”

“Who?” She asked, her voice shaking.

“A village man who was teaching his daughter healing. She knew a few spells and brews. And they burned them just for that.”

“Why?” Sunny asked, fear turning quickly to rage. “They were helping people. That’s not fair!”

“It’s the law. You’ll suffer the same fate. Baron Sable? He’d bring the wood, piling it at your feet. Your little peasant friend would likely be the one to tie you up, and Jacquelyn would light it. And then Duke Solar will scrub the Shadow name from Gehenna and make your people slaves. Is that what you want for Susan? For Olivia, for Constance?”

His attempt to guilt her into stopping wouldn’t work. She wouldn’t let it.

“Why are they so afraid? Men can practice magic, and when they do it, they’re called heroes.”

“Women can’t control magic. There are plenty of stories that say so.” Olaf pointed out, making Sunny angrier. 

“Stories told by men.” She responded. “That doesn’t make them true.”

“But it does make them law.”

“Law that I can change. The only thing there in place that can stop me is tradition.” Sunny pointed out, much to Olaf’s dismay. As soon as she learned how to change laws, she’d do it.

“Things are already dangerous without you summoning whatever you summoned!” He said, face red with fury. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Someone murdered my family and tried to kill me, too.” She responded, with no hesitation.

Olaf looked like he was about to hit her. But he didn’t. “Just leave the investigation to the adults! You’re a child! You don’t know better!”

She flinched back, though she was still angry. “For your information, I am the Lady Shadow  _ and your superior.  _ I can look after myself. Know your place.”

“Really?” Olaf laughed wickedly. “You’re a child. You’re putting us all in danger- you could’ve summoned a specter! It’s because of your grandmother that they exist, anyway.”

Sunny didn’t have a response for that. She knew her grandmother had walked the Twilight, and that it was very dangerous, but she’d never heard that Lady S. Theodora Shadow had cursed it forever. “But I didn’t summon a specter. I intended to summon Ink, and he came to me when I called. Maybe if I intend to, I should set a specter on  _ you _ .”

Olaf did raise his hand to strike her this time, but she dodged him. “It would go after your people, too. Is that what you want?”

She shook her head, taking up a defensive position. He was trapping her in her own room. She pulled a scalpel from some random drawer, the first tool she thought of, from when her mother had attempted to teach her healing.

What  _ did  _ she want?

She wanted to say goodbye. Even if she managed to get one of them, just for a moment, that was all she needed. Her eyes gave her away.

“Your family is  _ gone _ .” Olaf said, with a quiet menace. “They’re at peace now, away from  _ you _ . You’d rather take away that peace and bring them back to a world they so hate?”

Sunny felt guilty, now. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

“I know.” His little outburst had quelled, giving him time to calm down back into a falsely kind voice that Sunny didn’t want to trust. “Give me the key.”

“ _ What? _ ”

“So that it won’t tempt you again. Let them rest, Sunny. Let yourself rest.”

Sunny sighed, knowing he was right. She’d never be able to rest if she knew she could get them back. She handed him the key, and he smiled, eyes glittering viciously. “Good girl.” He said.

She was about to make him leave when he held out a hand. “I have one more thing.”

“What is it?” She said, exasperated already.

“Your friends, Duncan and Beatrice? Stop talking to them.”   
“What? Why?” 

“Duncan’s obviously crazy- he tried to teach you magic! And Beatrice is but a peasant. It’d be horrid for it to get out that you’re out cavorting with a peasant.”

“You overestimate my ability to care. I’m allowed to have friends. But you cannot hurt Beatrice- she’s done nothing but be there.”

“As you said, you’re Lady Shadow, now. You cannot have friends.” He said, before leaving the room. 

Sunny shakily sat against the wall as he left. She was reeling- but a tiny voice whispered in her mind.

_ You can’t have friends, maybe, but a good ruler always has powerful allies. _

Carmelita Solar.


	25. “The best hunters are the ones who blend in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no romance.  
> obviously.  
> anything and everything that could be perceived as romantic is not, it's purely platonic. Anyone who says otherwise is wrong and should know that. Sunny does not get a love interest in this fic and neither does Bea.

Jacquelyn had called to see Bea. The executioner hadn’t shown interest in anything Bea’d done before and now, the night after she’d been caught in the Shadow Library, Jacky wanted to see her. 

_ I’m dead. _

How would she do it? Take the girl up to Lamentation Hill and add Bea’s head to the five up there already?

_ This is all Sunny’s fault. _

She should’ve stuck with Swishy and Hafsah and gone to see the fair being set up. Instead, she’d ventured down into the pits of Castle Gloom and…

Seen some amazing things. Not just the vast Shadow Library, but Duncan weaving fire across his fingertips and Sunny summoning a ghost. A real made-of-mist-and-memories ghost!

_ Sunny’s not  _ that  _ bad. _

But that didn’t make her meeting with Jacquelyn any easier. She trudged up the stairs to the executioner’s quarters, her legs moving as if made of lead. But she didn’t regret a thing.

The door was already open, and Jacquelyn was writing at a desk inside. She glanced up. “Come in.” 

Bea wasn’t entirely sure what she was expecting- certainly something fearsome. But Jacquelyn’s quarters were… comfortable. A rug covered the cold, bare stone and embers smoldered in the fireplace. Sure, she had a few weapons laying around, but that was to be expected.

“What are you waiting for?” Jacquelyn asked, the only other sound in the room being the scratching of her quill.

“Whatever it is, I either didn’t do it or can explain!” Bea told her quickly, to which Jacky looked up incredulously. “That has literally nothing to do with why I called you here. I need you to take this message to Graven.”

“Oh. Okay. Where is that?”

“You see those mountains?” She pointed out the window where three peaks loomed in the distance. “Those are called the Three Princes. Graven is on the other side. You have to be there and back by dawn. All my other messengers are busy and this is urgent.”

“That’s impossible.” Bea responded. “Those mountains are over a hundred miles away! No horse would be able to make it.”

“I wasn’t thinking you’d take a horse.” 

“What do you exp- oh! Hades!” Bea grinned, causing Jackquelyn to give her a small smile back.

“The bat should have you across the mountains in a few hours. Follow the Cleft Way- Graven’s the last town before the Luminean border at the bank of River Lacrimae.”

It would be quite the test of flying. Bea’s escape from the caverns had truly been just luck. But navigating Hades on a journey? That was special.

“Do you know what these are?” Jacky asked, just wanting to know Bea’s answer, tapping a small stack of sealed envelopes beside her.

“Trouble?”

She put them into a satchel with a small smile. “Possibly. They’re coded messages, allowing me to know what’s going on both in Gehenna and out. I want these delivered to Captain Wayland- he runs patrols on the border. He should have some for you to send back.”

This was a big deal. Bea knew it, and Jacquelyn obviously did, too. She definitely didn’t trust stablehands with this- so why Bea? “What’s to stop me from taking Hades and flying home?”

“You don’t know the way.”

“I could ask someone.”   
Jacquelyn leaned forward, staring straight at Bea with her piercing gaze. “You could. And maybe you wouldn’t run out of food, maybe you’d be able to find a place to rest until you get there. But what then? I could be there waiting, or the local law enforcers.” She knew everything. “ _ Bastards they are, though.” _ The executioner murmured under her breath. “It wouldn’t be in your or your family’s best interests.”

Bea nodded. There was no logical way to really escape what was going on. Jacky was part of VFD, part of that web. Her mother had been, too. There’d always be someone waiting for her to destroy what she loved.

“Get going.” Jacquelyn said gently. “And keep your eyes open for anything unusual.”

“Like what?” So many things seemed unusual here, just as so many unusual things here were normal for them. Would things like parties be unusual? Or smiling, or not summoning ghosts?

“If I knew, I would tell you.” Jacky turned then back to her papers. The conversation was over.

~

Before long, Bea found herself back in the ruins of Murk Hall.

It was much larger than the Great Hall.  _ How did humans build such things? _

Maybe it hadn’t been humans at all. She’d been here long enough to know of the ancient necromancers and their command over devils and demons, performers of magic beyond her imagination.

The roof had caved in long ago. Broken columns laid across shattered flagstones and a tree grew in the southwestern corner, roots weaving over the rubble.

But even with the sun high in the sky, the shadowy hall was reluctant to let in light. The corners and alcoves were filled with dense darkness.

“Hades?” She called. “You there?”

The bat unfurled his wings, sniffing at the air as Bea approached. His huge ears twitched and he yawned a huge yawn. His ivory fangs glistened and remains of his dinner hung from his teeth because he was a wild animal.

Bea rubbed the beast’s chin. “Hey, boy. Fancy a trip?”

The bat turned to her until they were almost nose to nose, as an excited puppy would do if you told it something it had wanted to hear for years.

“That looks like a yes.” A voice sounded behind her.

Bea whirled around to find Sunny sitting in the shadows less than ten feet away. “Did I scare you? Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I just didn’t expect to find you here, especially after the library.” They had just seen her dearest dead pet snake come back to life. One would think she might want to recover.

“This is my castle, is it not?” Sunny reminded her. She joined her in gazing up at the towering monster of a bat. “He’s beautiful.” She breathed, not really having the words for it. “In his own way, I guess.”

“I think the word majestic would work better.” Bea chuckled lightly, pulling something that looked like sheep’s guts from his teeth and tossing it aside. 

“Yeah.” Sunny didn’t come closer the way her friend did, She seemed wary of Hades. “So you  _ are  _ going out on him?”

“Yup. Jacquelyn wants me to take him to Graven.”

“Then you’ll need something to sit on, won’t you?” She took the younger girl’s hand. “I have just the thing.” 

She led her to a large leather object- shiny and smelling of polish- on the ground. Straps hung from it in loops, and there were buckles of exquisitely engraved silver.

Bea nodded appreciatively. “That’s not for a horse.” She observed.

“It belonged to Faustus Shadow.” Sunny patted the wide, flat seat. “I found it at the back of the armory and had it cleaned and repaired. What do you think?” 

Bea inspected it. “Beautiful fits  _ this,  _ though. What’re those?” She gestured to a row of straps on the side.

“Stirrups are useless on a bat. You have to strap yourself in so you don’t fall off.” Sunny explained.   
“Makes sense. If you fall off a horse, all you get is a bruised ass. You fall off him and…” She inhaled sharply. “Kersplat.”

Sunny nodded. She was afraid of heights, herself. “I read Faustus’ diary. It explains how to saddle Hades- would you like me to show you?”

Bea nodded, grinning. “If it slips off, I’ll have someone to blame.”

Sunny rolled her eyes, stepping closer to Hades when he snapped at her. His eyes narrowed and he hissed.

“Maybe you should do it, Bea.”

When Bea did it, Hades sat patiently. He even shifted to make it easier for her to get under his wings to fasten the belly strap as if he remembered the old routine.

Bea inspected the bat’s old scars as she worked: white marks where fur hadn’t frown back. There were arrow wounds and cuts from swords and axes. 

This was one tough flying rat.

Sunny watched. “How are you so good with animals? I heard you even rode Thunder. No one but Jacky can do that.”

“I got it from my mom. That’s what my uncle says. Snickets just smell right. I don’t really know.”

“Smell right?”

“Of the earth. You know, of bark and leaves and grass. I’ve spent so much time in Herne’s Forest I think I just sort of became a part of it. Carried the smell with me, per se.”

“That must be helpful if you’re a hunter.”

“Yeah. The best hunters are the ones who blend in.” She stepped back to admire her handiwork. “There. All done!”

Hades beat his wings, rising to his claws. The wings stirred the dust and fallen leaves into the air, summoning hordes of smaller bats crowded around him in excitement.

_ Mood. _

Bea checked that her satchel was buckled and buttoned up her coat. “Time to go.”

“Wait. One more thing.” Sunny looked up at him with her gray eyes. The moon shone in them, and starlight too. They were strange, and a little frightening.

“What’s wrong?”

“Be careful. Not just tonight, but all the time. There are powerful enemies about.”

“Is this about Gabriel?”

“He’s near the top of the list. But there are others, whether we know about them or not.”

“Kinda nice having the ruler of Gehenna watching my back.” Bea responded, giving a little bow. “I feel safer already.”

Bea settled herself, feeling the bat quiver with anticipation. She ran the reins through her fingers, testing them. The pommel was shaped like a skull, naturally.

What night had ever had such a mount? A bolt of thrill shot up her spine, raising every hair so it stood on end. She looked like she should be covered in sparks. 

She posed dramatically. “How do I look?”

Sunny chuckled lightly in response. “Bold.”

Beatrice pulled up the reins, pointing Hades skyward.

Hades didn’t need to be told twice.

Bats swirled around them and the stone columns blurred past. Cold night wind snatched the breath out of her lungs. She felt herself slide back, but the leg buckles creaked and locked her in. 

Hades spun as he rose almost vertically toward the moon, around and around in circles like a corkscrew, turning Bea over and over. There was no way to fight it, and she surrendered to Hades’ joy gladly.

Wings fully unfurled, the bat left his entourage behind.

Bea glanced over her shoulder and gasped.

Castle Gloom looked so small. Hundreds of tents surrounded it, in every color there was. Flags fluttered in the wind- likely people here for the Halloween Ball, even though it was still over a week away. Nobles from lesser houses loyal to the Shadows and Solars, who’d arrived early so they could set up near the castle, presumably. Campfires dotted the black earth and moonlight glinted on the armor of Solar paladins as though they were fallen stars.

The greatest concentration of the tents was to the north, around the fair at Devil’s Knoll. That made sense’ people wanted to be near the fun. The first chance she got, go and spend the coin she’d won from Old Colm. Swishy said there were jugglers, cake stands, and even a zoo of magical creatures and fantastic beasts.

Bea scratched between Hades’ huge ears. “They won’t have anything as good as you.”

To the east spread the dark, vast expanse of the Spindlewood. 

Bea tightened her grip on the reins and leaned toward the south. The tents were few and far between there. It seemed no one wanted to pitch one between Lamentation Hill or the City of Silence, which made sense.

Hades hesitated, then banked, one wing tip pointed to the ground, and the other to the moon at its zenith.

Bea and Hades flew on toward the triple peaks of the Three Princes.


	26. “I summoned the ghost of my dead snake, something that hasn’t been done for at least a generation.”

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as Lily Solar would've wanted...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tiny chapter today bc its taken me three weeks of unmotivation and also a messed up sleep schedule as well as a broken computer but next week's should be back on track

Sunny watched, occasionally giggling as Bea dealt with Hades’ flips and tosses and turns. Once the girl and bat were out of view, she turned to a little alcove.

A tiny bat flitted about her head, coming to rest on her shoulder. A little indigo collar hung gently around the bat’s neck- she was Lachesis, Hafsah’s pet. A very loyal one, too, who likely got lost on the way back to the squires’ quarters.

Sunny smiled at the familiar gesture, petting the little bat. “C’mon. Let’s get you home.”

As she made her way back to that wing of the castle, she ran into a certain redhead.

Carmelita Solar.

“I saw the giant bat. Holy shit.”

“Yeah, Hades is a thing now. It’s kinda cool.”

Carm nodded. “Where are you going?”

“To return Lachesis. You?” Sunny gave the bat a lil head scratch and it made a happy sound.

“Just vibing. How’ve you been the past two days?”

“I summoned Ink’s ghost.” Sunny’s tone was ridiculously casual. 

Carmelita looked as though Sunny had just flipped a table before her. “ _ You fucking what?” _

“I summoned the ghost of my dead snake, something that hasn’t been done for at least a generation.” Sunny shrugged nonchalantly. She had moved past the fact quickly, the pride only enough to make her want to continue.

But Carmelita looked about willing to flip a table. “And you didn’t think to tell me?”

“I haven’t seen you in a while. What about it?”

“Still. I have to teach you now.”

Sunny did a double take. “You can do magic too?”

Carmelita nodded sadly. “My sister taught me. Before she was caught and burned.”

“Oh. I’m sorry, Carm.” The two were quiet for a moment, then, as they approached the squires’ quarters. 

A girl with a sea-foam green bandanna was working on something outside, but she didn’t see them. Lachesis flitted inside with a tiny squeak goodbye to Sunny and Carm and then there was no reason to go inside with her and see Sunny’s maybe-friends.

Carmelita took Sunny’s hand. “Okay, lil sister. We’re going to train and we’re going to make you strong and make sure you don’t get caught.”

Sunny squeezed it, having accepted the fact that she had a new big sister now. “Let’s do this.”

######  _ Start here _


	27. “War wearies the soul.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no Caroline in this chapter because she didn't go to Graven with Bea, who we're catching up with  
> That being said, there is another cameo I hope you'll enjoy

Snow and ice encrusted the tips of the mountains. The frosted peaks of the Three Princes were connected by a gentle slope, creating a kind of bowl on the southern face. Clouds of breath, white and warm, puffed from the bat’s mouth as its tiring journey came to an end and his fur glittered with gently falling snow.

Sunny was right. Hades was beautiful. And majestic, too.

The flurries turned to a drizzle as they arrived in Graven. Bea figured if she worked quickly, they could be out of there before it turned to a torrent and maybe even beat it back to the castle.

The town was built on the riverside, behind crumbling stone walls hastily repaired with wooden poles. It was a long strip on the bank, with a large graveyard behind it.

Bea dug her knees into Hades’ shoulders, and he dove down. The ground seemed to rush up at them dangerously fast- until Hades lifted his wings and landed carefully, not stirring so much as a blade of grass.

A horn blew from within the village, and Bea knew then that they had been seen.

“Do you bury royalty here?” She asked Hades, looking around the graveyard they had landed in. 

It was a massive space, probably twice as large as the village at least. The tombs were just as much larger than the village’s huts, and were made of old stone that had evidently been worked lovingly. The statues adorning the space were so lifelike, Bea did a double take at each thinking it might be a person. 

The village’s wooden gates opened to make way for a group of cavalry, galloping at them, evidently alarmed.

Hades hissed, backing away.

“It’s okay, boy.” Bea told him gently, dismounting to speak to them. “They’re on our side, okay? They won’t hurt us.”

Hades and the cavalry both seemed to disagree, as the black-cloaked riders formed a circle about them. Some clutched their spears tighter as they saw Hades up close, and the bat snapped, frightening a few horses.

Bea petted him a bit, to soothe him. “I’m looking for a Captain Sebald.” She told her opposers.

A woman dismounted her horse, and walked towards her. She wore a single steel breastplate and a chain mail skirt that covered her legs to the calves, as her peers did. She also wore a pair of boots that looked much more durable than that of her fellows. She had the easy walk of a woman accustomed to armor and the unadorned blade at her hip was plain, broad, and brutal. She flicked the visor of her helmet up, and the face beneath was just as tough as the sword. “That’d be me.”

Beatrice pulled the letters from her satchel, holding them out. “Mistress Jaquelyn sent these.”

Sebald took them, passing them to another rider without looking. She gazed up at Hades with vested interest, perhaps wondering if she’d seen anything like him in stories or training, “And who might  _ you  _ be?”

“That’s Hades, and my name is B-”

“Beatrice? I know. We’ve been waiting to find you for a long time.”

“Great.” Bea replied sarcastically, stepping closer to her bat. “VFD is fucking  _ everywhere _ . Anyway, I’m under Mistress Jacquelyn’s protection- I’m her squire.”

“Squire?” That surprised her. “Things must’ve changed much if the executioner has gotten a squire and people ride bats from the castle now. Come inside, Miss Beatrice.You have icicles hanging from your chin- we have a duck roasting over the fire.”

“Thank you, Captain. I appreciate it.”

“What about your mount? I have oats in the stables…” She glanced back at the bat. “Though I doubt it might help.”

Hades shrieked and rose, twisting his head this way and that, searching and scanning for food. Bea figured as such, shouting after him as he went, “Be back before the rain starts! And don’t eat any villagers or I’m not letting you come on the next trip!” She caught the frightened look that passed among the soldiers, realizing that she probably shouldn’t have said that. “Sorry. It’s his first trip, but he’s harmless, I promise! Well, to humans.” 

The other soldiers chose to stay on their horses, but Sebald walked alongside Bea, presumably to answer her questions and try to talk her into joining VFD. That was what she expected, at least.

“The graveyard is much larger than the village.” Bea noted after a moment. “Who used to live here?”

“What do you mean?”

She gazed up at the high iron railings surrounding it. “Back in my village, the death welcome package includes a sack, a patch of earth, and a wooden plaque with your name, provided that someone who you know knows how to write.”

Sebald smiled knowingly. “In Gehenna, the dead get as many rights as the living. The tomb has to last you a couple centuries, at least, since death is much longer than life.”

“But you’re dead. You wouldn’t  _ need _ anything.”

She shook her head. “Gehenna was once a country of necromancers. All the old nobles could summon ghosts and ghouls and everything. Whole armies of them.”

“That sounds really evil- raising them back to this world like that, just to be killed again.”

“Is it? Armies of the living seem worse, to me. Think about it, Miss Beatrice. Parents, and siblings are being sent off to war, maybe to die, maybe to return permanently scarred. Then what happens to the families they return to? There’s no one to work the fields or reap the harvests and the family starves and are miserable. War wearies the soul.” Captain Sebald gestured toward the graveyard. “Zombies don’t feel pain. They’ve already left their world- no one’s counting on them back home. It used to be law, actually, to serve ten years after death. The body gets too fragile otherwise.”

“It still seems like a waste of time and resources to build tombs like that for dust and bones instead of better quality houses for the living residents of the village.”

“There’s dead, Miss Beatrice, and then there’s  _ dead. _ The former didn’t always stay buried- honestly, nothing’s worse than Grandma returning from the grave to complain about how small her coffin is.”

Bea chuckled nervously. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Captain Sebald, but that sounds like the creepiest shit I’ve ever heard and my sister April has told me a  _ lot _ of creepy stories.”

Sebald smiled back at the little girl. “My brother and I are the same way. But that was long ago- before we were on this road. There’s no magic like that in Gehenna anymore,” She gestured to an area of the graveyard that was more fenced-off. “Or funds, at least in Graven. Now, all we can afford is a six-by-two strip of earth and some kind of name marker.”

By the time they’d reached the gate, a small crowd had formed.

“Are you from Castle Gloom?” A man asked. He looked a bit younger than the captain, but there was definitely some resemblance. He was wringing his cap in his hands anxiously. 

Captain Sebald sighed. “Gustav, let her get some food and warmth. She’s not accustomed to such cold.” 

“Sally, you know how important this is.” He told the captain with a sigh. He turned back to Bea. “Are you?”

Bea simply nodded. 

“She’s here on business, not to listen to your ghost stories!” The captain glared at her brother. “I want to believe you in them, Gustav, but they don’t add up!”

Hadn’t Jacky told her to look out for anything unusual? 

“What ghost stories?” She looked between the siblings. “What’s going on?”

Gustav looked to one of the women as Sally realized there was no winning at this point. “Loralei, tell the girl what you saw, please.”

Bea recognized this woman immediately as someone older than her time. Judging by her experience in Stour, this woman likely worked day and night, and had a lot of children to help her out. She clutched corner of her apron in her thin fingers. “I beg your pardon, but what I saw was real.” Her voice was soft and shaking, as though she had not yet recovered from what it had been.

“Saw what?”

“My father. He died last month- pneumonia turned his lungs to water. There was nothing to be done.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Bea didn’t dare wonder where this was going, afraid of where it might lead. Loralei seemed to be growing more frantic. Whatever had happened, it had seriously rattled her.

“We buried him out there, washed with those rare wildflowers I sometimes find and in a nice oak coffin with his bedsheet. I wanted to bury him with his finest suit and all his tools, but times are hard. We kept his boots- they were new.” She was shaking now, and one of the others put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “We right by him, young mistress. We managed to give him flowers every week- I sweep his grave every morning. I don’t understand why it happened.”

“What happened?”

“He’s come back, ma’am.” Loralei dissolved into sobs. “He’s come back.


	28. “...this was pretty unusual.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back! I hope you like the oncoming references in this chapter! My posting schedule is still Mondays, but it depends when I actually get chapters written because last time I tried every week I got super burned out so I’m just trying to take it slow and not set anything in stone just yet.

Well, Jaquelyn  _ had _ said to keep an eye out for anything unusual. Standing amongst six disturbed graves with Captain Sebald, her brother, Loralei, and five soldiers, all armed with shovels, she figured this was pretty unusual.

“It could’ve been animals. Or grave robbers.” Captain Sebald suggested, knelt beside the grave of Loralei’s father. She had been examining the disturbance, but her explanations were uncertain.

“Why would anyone want to rob them?” As far as Bea knew, this town was very poor. 

“Grave robbers.” Responded Gustav. “They want tools and pottery and jewelry.”

“Why would they need it from graves?”

Captain Sebald sighed. “The dead are buried with their prized possessions. I thought you knew.” Obviously Bea didn’t look native Gehennish, but she was assumed to have lived there long enough to find out.

She just nodded in understanding. In Stour, those kinds of things would be passed down through generations- tools and pottery break, and jewelry is precious. It felt like a waste to put useful items in the ground instead of continuing their own life, but she’d respect these people and not say it.

Beatrice knelt, noting the disturbance. “That’s not from an animal, or a grave robber.” A robber wouldn’t be so careless. “When did you see him last?”

“Two nights ago.” Loralei was still rattled from the memory. “Two nights ago, I went to check on the cows. I saw him there- it was a full moon, and I could see clear as day.”

Bea grabbed her shovel from where she’d left it leaning against the fence, and began to dig. The guards followed, and they made quick work of the hole.

“The wind is changing.” Bea observed as she dug. “There’s a storm coming on. We’d better hurry with this”

Captain Sebald nodded, taking note of it for her own plans.

Eventually, they struck something.

Brushing the dirt off the coffin, Bea could see a large crack splintering down the center of the lid. The grave was broken. 

“Bring the light closer!” The captain ordered, and then she and her fellows removed the lid.

The coffin was empty.

“The other five are probably like that too.” Gustav said, unsurprised. But his sister and Bea were bewildered.

_ Sunny said that kind of power didn’t exist anymore... _

She turned, spotting footprints _.  _ “You said you kept his boots, right?”

Loralei nodded. “They fit my son still, and weren’t a year old.”

“What was your father’s job?”

She nodded again. “He was one of the masons commissioned by Lord Iblis Shadow to build that new hall some seasons ago. There wasn’t a better mason there, I’d say.” She seemed proud of him.

“Did he happen to drop a stone on his foot or something? Specifically his left big toe?”

Loralei seemed a bit surprised there. “Well… yes…”

“Then these are his footprints.” Bea confirmed solemnly. They led towards the woods.

“We shouldn’t go now. We have to wait until daylight- it’s too dangerous.” Captain Sebald decided.

“In about an hour, there’ll be a downpour and we’ll lose all the prints. We can’t wait until morning.” Bea responded firmly.

The woods were thick and dark, tall and threatening. She couldn’t see a foot inside the forest in this light.

But what other option was there?

Beatrice Snicket, Captain Sebald, and her soldiers began the walk towards the dark wood.


	29. New Beginnings, Old Traditions: Shadows and Misfortune's First Year Anniversary!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This oneshot is dedicated to Deliah and Susan! Thank you both for supporting me in this, and I hope you both have a wonderful birthday.  
> It’s Shadows and Misfortune’s birthday too! Thank you everyone for choosing to continue to read this tale. It’s because of you all that we’ve made it this far, and I hope the next year is enjoyable for you. At least from what I can do here.

_ Happy birthday to you. _

As Sunny watched the candles on her cake flicker, she thought of the fourteen other times she’d seen them. 

She’d never asked for a large birthday cake- in fact, she’d always requested a smaller one so that the celebration would be just her and her brother and parents. It felt more special that way. And she was allowed to help with it earlier on.

Every year on that day she’d run to Klaus’ room and tackle him, effectively waking him up with a pillow fight. Every year they’d begin the morning giggling, with sparkling eyes and loving rivalry. Every year, after the pillow fight, she’d badger him to give her a hint of what her gift was, which he’d never reveal until after she got dressed, but never forgot to give. Every year it was something new- sometimes a cookbook, sometimes a fairytale book, sometimes even spellbooks-though he never taught her to use them. 

That would’ve been his gift to her this year, had he survived. But she didn’t know that.

The two of them would race to the Great Hall, where Mother and Father and, eventually, Olivia, Sue, Swishy, Hafsah, and Constance would wait there for them with a cake and loving smiles. They’d laugh and joke and remember, and Inky would always cause some sort of mischief. Then her parents would give her hugs and her mother would give her a bit of jewelry that had belonged to her ancestors- sometimes it was a bracelet, sometimes earrings or a necklace. Sunny wasn’t one for attaching sentiment to objects, but to have that jewelry and know that the people that had led the way for her to be alive at that point had this connection with her now was a beautiful one to her. 

Father would write her a poem that he’d perform dramatically, and it always ended with him in some pretentious pose on the table that always made her laugh. 

Every year she made it clear that gifts weren’t as important to her as the people she spent her birthday with, and every year her friends gave her gifts that she had to promise not to open until the next year. 

She’d run off after that, to play with her friends or bring things to her room before doing so. Suze and Olivia were the dragons when they played pretend, and Klaus always followed them around, so they made him a dragon-in-training. 

He never objected, though they all knew he loved to play the brave knight.

The day would end with her beating her family at some board game, depending on the night, and as she grew older it became unclear whether they let her win or if she was just really good at those games. As the stars shone brightly in the courtyard, Sunny and Klaus would get ready for bed and he’d read her most favorite tales to her until she fell asleep, snuggled against her big brother. 

But today was different.

Today, her parents weren’t here. Neither was Klaus, or Inky. Today Hafsah and Swishy and Constance had come, but the atmosphere was awkward. Bea and Duncan had come, as had Susan and Olivia. Olaf and Gabriel were not in attendance, much to Sunny’s relief. Jacquelyn had sent her well-wishes to the girl long ago, but had never arrived. 

She wasn’t sure if she could laugh about a year when half of it was taken up by her losing everyone. The candles flickered, and the sorrow that clouded her gaze was swept away.

Today was her birthday, but she would no longer be able to play pretend. She’d have to eat her cake and go back to trying to rule her kingdom. 

She’d known nothing would ever be the same, but it hit her just now how much it had changed.

_ Happy birthday to you. _

Beatrice Snicket sat in her bunk-room, with a cupcake and her four close friends. And Caroline, because she wanted to befriend her. Birthdays were so horribly different, the homesickness rendered her appetite nonexistent.

At home she would wake up early to her sister Sensible cooking a special breakfast- with her mother’s help, of course. She was normally the last one down, normally having run into Nick on the way and succeeding in beating him at whatever challenge he’d dared her to do. She’d have fun with her family in warm, sunlit Herne’s forest, picking apples and picnicking in clearings and climbing trees. They never did the same thing two years in a row, yet everything was always perfectly splendid. 

That’s not how birthdays were here.

She’d woken in her hard bunk to the drizzle of icy rain outside. Winter came a lot earlier in Gehenna than Stour. The air was frigid and it took a lot to get her out of her significantly warmer bed. She’d eaten the same porridge she ate every day, did her tasks in the cold rain with numbness biting at her fingertips, and received numerous birthday wishes from her fellows. 

The day was beginning to draw to a close, and all she wanted right then were her siblings. Lilac with her kind humor and warmth, April with her recklessness and crazy tales, Colin with his open attitude to learning, Nick with his fond teasing and infinite hugs, Sensible with her sharp wit and sparkling outlook, Soli with her reptiles and her enthusiasm- she missed it all. She missed her mother, with her unending forgiveness (or so she thought) and comforting presence. She missed her uncle, with his soft demeanor and strange penchant for defining words. 

All the world was worth nothing without them.

Her friends were wonderful, really, but there truly was no place like home.

_ Happy birthday, my dearest. _

A hooded figure stared forlornly out the window of the hollow which she called home. It was a secret place- unknowable even to those who knew. It was someone’s birthday out there… someone she knew very well.

And even though she had no reason to, something in her heart yearned to think of them and to send them her well-wishes, even if it was just in her own thoughts.

She brushed it away.

_ Happy birthday to you. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's a story of change, but this story is one of hope and of love and of triumph. In the world we live in now, hope is a strong tool. Make sure to hang on to it. I love you all! Take care of yourselves!


	30. Peace Cannot Come Without War: A Flashback

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote some Baudelaire (or Shadow) fluff even though we haven’t made it to Gehenna yet be sad  
> But also, enjoy

“You sure you don’t want to come?” Klaus asked, awkwardly fiddling with his sleeve. He and his parents were going to the River Styx, where negotiations would be made for him to marry Dathan Solar and bring peace to the kingdoms. Normally, Duke Solar would never allow his son to marry a Shadow, especially a Shadow prince. But this was the only way both parties could get what they wanted, as the only daughters he had that were currently of marrying age had taken up very important stances on not doing it _just yet._

 _“I’m sure, Klaus._ ” Sunny caught a vial that he happened to have on his dresser that he’d accidentally knocked over. It was a potion of some sort. He loved potions more than any other aspect of magic. “You’ll do fine, peace will come, and you’ll have a lovely husband to rule Gehenna with. And I’ll be there to tease you the whole time.”

“The Solars are rarely lovely.” Klaus responded with a sigh. “What if you don’t approve of him?”  
“It doesn’t matter what I think about Duke Dathan. You’d be forced to marry him anyway.” Sunny rolled her eyes.

Knowing what his sister thought of her responsibilities, Klaus smiled. “You know, when I’m Lord Shadow, I’m going to give you the most important job.” He leaned in very close, so only she could hear his whisper. “And I can teach you magic.”

Sunny gasped in delight. “Really?”

Klaus smiled. “Of course! Mother knows how, you should too. Even Constance is a necromancer!”

“ _She’s fucking_ **_what_ **?” Sunny was close to shrieking. “Can you teach me tonight?”

Klaus laughed. “We can try and start.” He replied.

Lord Bertrand popped his head into the room then. “Are you ready, Klaus? We have to leave.”

Klaus shook his head and repeated something his father always said. “If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives.”

Bertrand smiled. “Your mother is already in the carriage. Let’s go!” The siblings ran after him, and they raced to the carriage.

Hugging her family tightly before they left, Sunny had no qualms about this. Her family was powerful enough to keep out of trouble. Her brother was proving to be an even more powerful necromancer than her father, and something of a prodigy. “I love you!”

Beatrice laughed, hugging her back. “I love you too, little bat. Try not to burn Castle Gloom down while we’re gone!”

Sunny giggled. “No promises, Mama.”

“I love you, too, Sunny. And no, I will not tell you all about it because then you’ll use all my awkward words against me.” Klaus joked.

“That’s my job!”

Bertrand gave his youngest daughter a kiss on the head. “I love you, little Shadow. Listen to Susan and Olivia while we’re away.”

Sunny cuddled up against her father. “I’ll try. See you all in two days!”

Releasing her to deal with the kingdom in their absence, half of the Shadow family piled into the carriage, never to be seen again.

Of course, Sunny wouldn’t know that until they were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All credits for Dathan (mentioned in this chapter) and the rest of the Seven Spats as Solars go to @rownthedabbithole ! Tysm for letting me add them!


	31. The Sun Will Always Rise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2020 special!  
> You're going to hate me for this  
> Thank you @rownthedabbithole for allowing me to use Lily, Veruca, Carmelita, Angelica, Avery, Dathan, and Richie!

Duchess Carmelita Solar sat on her bed, tears running down her face. She’d never thought she’d cry this much, but the occasion came more often than she was willing to admit. 

She stared at the tiny platinum necklace with the quartz pendant her sister had carved. Her sister. Her Lily. 

And she was transported back to that fateful day.

“No, no!” Lily laughed, repositioning Carmelita’s hands. “Like this, see?” She demonstrated the spell once more, that Veruca and Angelica had already mastered. 

Carm tried again, failing again and throwing her hands up in frustration. “Forget it. I’ll never get this one.”

Veruca was about to say something when the doors to the library burst open. Photokinesis still flared from Lily’s hands, her eyes wide. They had been caught. 

“What’s going on here?” Duke Solar demanded. He had come in with Gabriel, his heir and the only one who ever got his attention, for the boy’s lesson. 

His face was purple with rage. “You were doing  _ magic!” _ He pointed a shaking finger at them. 

“No!” Lily cried. “They weren’t. I was. I just wanted to show them and-” Angelica pulled her to the side. “What the fuck are you doing?” She whispered. 

“Protecting you. That’s my job.” She responded. 

Lily pulled her sisters into a group hug as the guards marched forward to her. “I love you all so much.”

She didn’t protest as the guards dragged her away. 

It had been so hard then to not let her see them cry. Lily hated seeing them cry, and the girls knew that. But as soon as she was gone, as soon as Duke Raphael Solar kicked them out of the library, they ran to Lily’s room and collapsed in a sobbing heap. They had absolutely broken down. 

Lily was going to be burned at the stake, and there was nothing they could do. 

But then the trial came, and the Duchesses Solar thought that maybe they could save their sister. 

They couldn’t. 

“Lily Rania Spara Solar, how do you plead?”

“I plead guilty as charged.” Lily didn’t hesitate. “I practiced magic my entire life without your knowledge and I will fight for the rights of my sisters and the women of the world with my dying breath.” She looked straight at Carmelita, her piercing gaze meeting the younger’s tearful one. “And I know they will carry on the battle after me and I know they will be successful.”

And so Lily was sentenced to burn at the stake. 

The girls tried many times to help her escape, with no success. Lily told them that it was fine and they’d go on fine without her. 

“Father was going to do the whole marriage alliance thing with House Shadow, wasn’t he? They’re necromancers. They could bring back my ghost if they wanted.”

That was her usual argument. Her sisters never bought it, and they never stopped trying. 

The day finally came when Lily was to die, and she held herself like a queen. She stood unbroken until she came upon her siblings. 

“Gabriel. Lead our House with pride.”

“Dathan, the best of luck with Klaus Shadow. Let your heart be your guide.”

“Avery, protect them for me. Protect everyone. Don’t let anything stand between you and your family.”

“Richie, never lose hope. I’ll always be there with you, and your siblings too.”

“Veruca, keep up what I have done. Carry on my legacy, and win this fight.”

“Carmelita…” her eyes had welled with tears of her own at this point. “Pepmint… you’ll get there. You’ll get to where you want to be. I love you for who you are.” She stroked her sister’s cheek. “I know you struggle with that and I know that your family is here to help you. Rely on them, and things will improve for you.” 

“Angelica…” she was beginning to really cry now. “My little Angelica… never stop fighting and never let people walk all over you. Grow yourself into the power you deserve. Never forget me and never forget to fight.” 

“ _ Canes non proditores.”  _ The eight whispered in unison. 

“I love you all so much.” Lily pulled her siblings into her very last group hug, and ascended the platform.

And she burned.

Staring at her necklace, Carmelita remembered Lily’s last words to her. She’d given her the necklace on the last birthday she’d witnessed. 

_ I’m a bunch of broken pieces. It was you who made me whole. _

And Lily’s voice answered in her mind.  _ No. You’re so much more than that. _

And the girl stood. She wiped her tears, washed her face. She brushed her hair and changed her clothes into a glowy gown, subtly enchanted by the spell she’d worked tirelessly to perfect in Lily’s honor. It was the same spell she’d been trying to learn when she’d lost her. 

She put on her jewelry next, pink fire opals strung in her red curls. And Lily’s necklace last, the white-gold and platinum glinting in the morning light. 

She stepped out and onto the balcony. And leaning on the railing, she greeted the sun with a song of her own.

“ _ So I’ll walk through this night, stumbling blindly towards the light, and do the next right thing.” _

Now was a time for healing. 

Now was a time for moving on. 

Now was a time for new beginnings. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to absolutely destroy me for killing her you're totally entitled to do so


	32. Snippet 1: Progress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Subplot that I’ve been planning for months time!

“You’ve made no progress.” She scorned, eyes piercing the Lady’s own brown ones. Brown eyes that she’d inherited from  _ Beatrice. _ “What of our deal?”

“Forgive me, L.” Lady Shadow had changed after her time in the royal court. She spoke with a soft sternness that the asker could not help but notice. “But my many guests have chosen to stay while I do.”

“If I get to kill him, you’ll stay here forever.” L snapped.

“That’s not how it works.” The younger girl glared. 

“All you had to do was lead him to me. All you’re doing is endangering yourself with your own stupidity.”

The Lady looked at her in an expression very unlike surprise. “I know. But you’ve been no help. I can’t just tell him to  _ come on into the woods! We can have fun!  _ and expect it to work. You know what he’d do and so would I.”

“There is no victory without risk, m’lady. Weaken him.” L murmured.

“I’ve been trying to!” Lady Shadow whisper-shouted indignantly, moonlight shining on her dark hair. “I’ve given him no limitations, but he’s disobedient.”

“Have you learned nothing, girl? He is only a pawn, though his loyalties lie only to himself. He’s stupid and weak. He has no power. Why do you act as though he does?”

“ _ If I do not, I will die. _ ” The Lady hissed.  _ “I will die as my best friend died. You’ll never get your payment.” _

“ _ You _ will be fine.” L hissed back. “You do not understand. You’re the most powerful person in your lands, yet you act as though you are only as high up as a scullery maid.”

“They don’t want a ruler.” Lady Shadow murmured. “They want a silly little girl. I have no power. No one listens to me, L. Why can’t you see that?”

“Oh, I can see it. But you have the power to force them to listen to you. Hell, you could order his execution right now if you wished!”

“You know I can’t! This kingdom is on the brink of destruction. His death by my hands would be the last thing we need.”

“Fine.” L turned snappy again. “Lure him out of Gehenna. Get him to the Bone-Tree Wood. And then I shall have him see what he does not wish to see, the way he’d done to so many others. I shall show him what he truly deserves. It’ll look like an accident.”

Lady Shadow nodded. “In two weeks’ time, I shall see you again.”

“The new moon.”

L disappeared into the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once a month usually, but now it’s more frequent bc Sunny’s got less time at Castle Gloom


	33. Snippet 2: Only Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sunny is me @ my sister. You’ll see why.

“No, you can’t play! Mama said it’s my turn on the Switch!” Sunny cried, pulling it away from her brother and going back to her work on the houses of her Animal Crossing island. 

“So? I’m the Resident Representative. I should get to see how my people are doing!” Klaus shot back, reaching for it again. 

“Oh, your fucking  _ five people? _ Two of which came with the island and two of which I coerced into coming?”

“And merchants!”

“Oh? Like Mabel Able and Daisy Mae, who only came because Nook’s Cranny opened? Because I used a ridiculous amount of Nook Miles to get all the supplies for that fucking store? And Blathers? After  _ I  _ collected ten out of the fifteen donations for the museum? Just drop it.”

“What do you do that’s so important on the island?” Klaus cried. “In an official position? Sell weed?”

“For your information, I provide Timmy and Tommy with seafood and shells since they fetch a higher price.” Sunny glared.

“That’s not important.”

“How the fuck do you think they stay open with their stuff? Magical funds? They sell my invaluable manila clams for fish bait at unnecessarily high prices!”

“Well, at least I built houses for Deena, Nibbles, and Rodeo!”

“That’s because you didn’t let me play, you bitchass motherfucker.”

“Well, it’s  _ my  _ Switch!”

“Bet?” Sunny sped off down the hallway, Klaus at her heels. She turned a corner and shut herself quickly inside a random door.

“Mistress Sunny?” An astonished voice asked.

“Oh. Hello, Joshua.” Sunny grinned, realizing where she was. She was in the wine cellar. Her heart was pounding from the run, her face slightly aflush and hair a bit windstrewn. 

“What are you doing here?”

“Hiding from Klaus again.”

“What game is it this time? Legend of Zelda?”

Sunny giggled. “Animal Crossing. You wanna play?”

He nodded and she handed it to him, ushering them to a far alcove. She taught and he listened, though he didn’t seem to enjoy the game very much. He handed it back to her after she was done explaining, having sat through it out of respect. “That looks really boring.”

“It’s just like Zelda!”

“But without the being a hero part.”

“Fair. Can I vibe here until Klaus stops looking?”

“Sure.”

And so she did. She took a million trips, and got too many supplies. She made money and gained supplies. After this, she put it towards her debt and dropped the things her brother made outside her house.

By the time she’d finished designing a snarky message for him and displayed it underneath the supplies on the ground, her device was on low battery and she could feel Klaus’ impatience reverberate through their castle’s walls. 

It had a way of responding to their emotions.

Sunny hurried to the parlor to put the switch on the charger, and then jumped onto Klaus’ bed.

“Hey, Tiny.” He responded to her putting her head on his shoulder and ruffling his hair.

“Ponch.” Was all she replied, indicating his poncho. 

“Where’s the Switch, Stinky?”

“On the charger.”

Klaus disappeared for a moment and Sunny took the chance to play. Her connection to her home seemed to work best in her brother’s room, so she placed her hand on the cool wall.  _ How long does it take you to get the Switch?  _ She sent to him.

_ Well, I also have to get the fucking charger, dumbass. I wonder why.  _ She got back a moment later. 

_ Fair. Move it along, though. _ She responded.

When he  _ finally  _ got back, she snuggled onto his shoulder the way younger siblings tend to as she watched him “fulfill the needs of his people”.

“Cut the act, shithead. I know you killed the battery.”

She laughed. “Yes I did. I’m hosting a dinner party tomorrow in-game. I get to be leader.”

“Fine.” Klaus smiled, too, bringing his arm around his baby sister. He’d promised his parents he’d take care of her when she was born, and he was determined to stick to that no matter how wild she was turning out to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will never not be salty about the fact that my sister gets to be Resident Representative and get cool recipes and a ton of credit because I gathered most things she gave for progress.


	34. Snippet 3: Your Reward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again, this time with just one snippet.

Sunny figured she looked a bit intimidating. Standing there with her chin up and her stare critical as she approached the jeweler’s assistant for that day, who happened to be Caroline, she felt powerful. 

Until the young squire looked her in the eyes. She was so scared.

Everyone was scared of her, and she didn’t know why.

Suddenly, Sunny felt as though her current look was too harsh. She felt too stern.

So she softened a bit.

“Caroline? I have a request for the jeweller.”

“What is it, m’lady?” The squire jumped to her feet.

“Would this design be possible, with no time restraints?” Sunny pulled a piece of parchment from her velvet reticule. She’d spent weeks figuring it out. It looked as though a spider had woven its web down a collar. A web made of hematite and adorned with onyx, that is. The bracelets with it acted the same way, one having a simple ring connected to it by a chain. The earrings were dangly chains of hematite that curled into a spiderweb design around the upper ear. 

“I don’t see why not, m’lady. But it would take quite a long time.” Caroline seemed unfazed. They’d requested a great amount of elaborate, expensive jewelry during the past six months in preparation of the Solar arrival.

“Of course. Thank you.” Sunny nodded respectfully and left.

_ I hope it’s enough.  _ She thought. 


End file.
